BX 

72 55 



A 



DISCOURSE, 

COMMEMORATIYE OF THE HISTORY 

OJ^ THE 

CHUECH OF CMIST II YALE COLLEGE, 

DURING THli 

FIRST CEiNTURY OF ITS EXISTENCE. 

PREACHED IN THE COLLEGE CHAPEL, 
rOVEMBER 22, 1857. 

WITH NOTES AND AN APPENDIX. 

BY GEORGE P. FISHER, 

LIVINGSTON PROFESSOR OF DIVINIIY. 



NE\V HA YEN : 
THOMAS H. P E A S E. 

T. J. STAFFORD, FRINTEIi. 
1858. 



#LIBRAIIY OF CONGRESS,; 

# , #[ 



^ UNITED STATES OP AMERICA 



DISCOURSE. 



COMMEMORATIVE OF THE HISTORY 



OF THE 

CHURCH OF CHRIST IN YALE COLLEGE, 



DURING THE 



FIRST CENTURY OF ITS EXISTENCE. 



PREACHED IN THE COLLEGE CHAPEL, 



NOVEMBER 22, 1857. 



WITH NOTES AND AN APPENDIX. 
BY GEORGE P. FISHER, 

LIVINGSTON PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY. 




NEW HAVEN: 
THOMAS H. PEASE. 

T. J. STAFFORD, PRINTER. 
1858. 



If- 



<^\tp 



#V' 



Ik preparing this Discourse, I have examined all the documents with- 
in ray reach, whether printed or manuscript, which bear on the sub- 
ject. Mv labor, however, has been lightened by the assistance of 
those who have had occasion, before me, to traverse parts of the same 
field. In particular, I am indebted to the Sketch of the History 
of Yale College, by Prof. Kingsley, the Historical Discourse of Pres- 
ident Woolsey, and the Article on the History of Revivals in Yale 
College, by Prof. Goodrich. In a number of instances, in statements 
of fact, I have scarcely varied from their language. Important aid 
has also been derived from the volume of Historical Discourses by 
Dr. Bacon, which are as felicitous in style as they are instructive in 
matter ; from the three Historical Sermons of Dr. Dutton ; from Prof. 
Silliman's Historical Discourse; from Sprague's Annals of the Ameri- 
can Pulpit, Tracy's History of the Great Awakening, Park's Life of 
Hopkins, and other works which need not be specified. My thanks 
are likewise due to President Day, Dr. Taylor, Professors Goodrich and 
Olmsted, and other gentlemen, who have kindly communicated to me 
their personal reccollections. Above all, I desire to expi-ess my obliga- 
tions to Mr, Edward C. Herri ck, who has given me, at every step, the 
benefit of his abundant knowledge and accurate judgment. 

G. P. F. 

Yale College, Jan. 6, 1858. 



DISCOURSE. 



DEUTERONOMY, xxxii. 1. 

REMEMBER THE DAYS OF OLD, CONSIDER THE YEARS OF MANY GENERATIONS ; ASK 
THY FATHER, AND HE WILL SHEW THEE ; THY ELDERS, AND THEY WILL TELL THEE. 

The Church of Christ in Yale College is one hundred 
years old. Its founders have long been numbered with the 
dead. Many of the great and good men who have since taken 
part in its affairs, have likewise gone to their rest. But they 
all deserve to be remembered in the place where the benefits 
of their self-sacrifice continue to be enjoyed. An occasion is 
offered us to recall their services and to acknowledge the 
goodness of God, in a thankful review of the past. From 
examples of holy love and enlightened zeal for the truth, 
even if shaded by some error and un charitableness, would 
He have us draw fresh incitement to fidelity in the work 
which He has given us to do. 

In this feeling, I have explored the sources of informa- 
tion on the subject, and having, in the spirit of this ancient 
commandment, made inquiry of the fathers and elders, I 
now invite you to consider with me " the years of many gen- 
erations." 

The Church in College was established during the admin- 
istration of President Clap, and chiefly by his exertions. 
The period in which he held his ofiice, extending from 1739 
to 1766, was one of earnest religious excitement through- 
out New England. The origin of the Church is partly 
due to the commotions of the time, and with them its 



early history is closely connected. Their nature and their 
beai-ing on the events which chiefly concern us at present, it 
will require but few words to explain. 

The opening of the eighteenth century found the piety of 
the New England churches in a low condition. This decline 
of religion began with the first generation that followed the 
original settlers. Their situation in the wilderness, far from 
the seats of civilization, their frequent wars with the savages, 
and their perpetual conflict with the rugged soil, go far to 
account for the degeneracy observed in their immediate de- 
scendants. By the civil constitution adopted in Massachu- 
setts, and, for a while, in the colony of ISTew Haven, the 
right to vote and to hold civil office, was confined to church 
members. The desire for these political privileges at length 
became so urgent that the churches were prevailed on to rec- 
ognize as members, all who had been baptized in infancy, 
and to permit them, also, on a formal assent to the creed 
and covenant, to bring forward their children for the same 
rite. Afterwards, the practice became prevalent of inviting 
persons to the Lord's Supper, as a means of conversion. Cus- 
toms of this nature, springing from the union of church and 
state, were efficient causes in producing the religious declen- 
sion to which we advert. A great majority still adhered to 
the Calviiiistic doctrines as taught by their fathers and em- 
bodied in the Confession of the Westminster Assembly. But 
of such even, it was true to a large extent, that their Calvin- 
ism was more a lifeless tradition than a vital, intelligent 
faith. There were doubtless many exceptions ; but minis- 
ters and people, taken as a whole, had lost their Christian 
earnestness. In this state of things, there had gradually 
come to exist a class, how numerous it is difficult to say, who 
departed more or less widely from orthodox opinions. They 
indicated their position either by observing silence in re- 
spect to the distinctive truths of the Gospel, or by preaching 
on them in a vague and ineffective manner. Such themes 
as the Condemnation and ruin of man, his need of Begen- 



©ration bj the Spirit of God, tlie Divinity of Christ and Re- 
demption by His Sacrifice, they left in the background, for 
the reason that they felt a degree of skepticism on these 
points ; and hence preferred to dwell in their discourses on 
the duties of man to his neighbor. Though united together 
by no formal bond or badge of union, and difiering from 
one another in theological views, some having gone much 
farther from the current belief than others, they had aground 
of sympathy in their common opposition to Calvinism and 
their general habit of feeling. And they were called hy 
their opponents, without proper discrimination, Arminians. 
ISTow add to these two parties a third, which arose later under 
the lead of President Edwards, who was graduated here- 
about twenty years before President Clap was placed at the 
head of the College. Its members were the most able and 
thorough adversaries of Arminianism ; but in the process of 
defending the established faith, they were led to recast it in 
new forms and to change its aspect. Tlieir system thus orig- 
inated, was termed the Kew Divinity, and in later times has 
received the name of Kew England Theology. The younger 
President Edwards has enumerated ten " Improvements " on 
the theology of the day, made by his father and his father's 
followers. In truth, however, their distinction, especially at 
the outset, was not so much in the circumstance that they 
broached new opinions, as in the fact that their views were 
the result of independent reflection, and were maintained on 
philosophical grounds. The boldness with which they de- 
clared in the pulpit the terror of the Gospel, and the force of 
their appeals to the conscience, in contrast with what had 
been usual, made their sermons exciting and effective. It 
was they who w^elcomed "Whitefield most warmly, and were 
most active in the great Revival of 1740. The religious agi- 
tation was fomented by certain preachers who, under the 
impulse of misguided fervor, travelled from place to place, 
intruding into parishes, and denouncing as unconverted men 
the ministers who did not choose to approve their fanatical 



8 

proceedings. In consequence of these movements, violent 
controversies arose, cliurches were divided, and the govern- 
ment of this Colony by interposing to clieck these evils, only 
increased the disturbance. 

The College was compelled to share in the universal com- 
motion. Its officers and students had attended worship from 
the beginning with tlie first Ecclesiastical Society in IS'ew 
Haven. Yery early in the Eecords of College, I find a no- 
tice of negotiations with that society in regard to seats for 
the students and the rent to be paid for their use. The pas- 
tor of the First Church, who had been ordained in 1716, the 
Rev. Joseph Noyes, was thought to be an Arminian in sen- 
timent ; and his style of preaching was far from being forci- 
ble, or attractive to the generality of his hearers.'^ A large 
number of his parishioners, who wanted a sounder and more 
animated preacher, had lately withdrawn, and laid the foun- 
dation of what is now the ISTorth Church and Society, of 
which Dr. Dutton is the present pastor. In the long con- 
test attending this division, " whatever Christian virtues 
were in exercise, those of long suffering, meekness and char- 
ity were far from being very conspicuous." President Clap 
was a Calvinist, though at first by no means so strenuous in 
asserting his views as he became afterwards, under the pres- 
sure of opposition and when he deemed the truth to be ex- 
posed to more imminent danger. His strong dislike of the 
new measures adopted in the revival, had even brought on 
him the charge of being inclined to Arminianism. But in 
common with most of his associates in the government of 
College, he was dissatisfied with the doctrines of Mr. ISToyes, 
and still more with his want of life in the pulpit. The same 
discontent was felt by the students and by many of their 
parents, so that the institution w^as beginning to suffer in the 
eyes of the public from its relation to the First Church and 
its unpopular pastor. 

* See Appendix, No. I. 



In this emergency, President Claj), with the sanction of a 
majority of the trustees, determined to form a distinct con- 
gregation within the walls of College. There is no room for 
do;ibt that this purpose was urged forward, if not suggested, 
by the difficulties we have just described. But it is equally 
certain that the President and his colleagues did not re- 
sort to the plan merely to get clear of a temporary trouble. 
They were fully convinced, and justl}" too, as the event has 
shown, that the proposed arrangement would prove to be 
of permanent utility. And they were not precipitate in the 
steps they took to carry their resolution into eifect. 

In 1746, the Corporation voted "that they would choose a 
public Professor of Divinity in the College, as soon as they 
could procure a sufficient support." The same year, the Hon. 
Philip Livingston of Livingston Manor, a member of his 
Majesty's Council for the province of ISTew York, having had 
four sons educated at the College, gave the sum of twenty- 
eight pounds, ten shillings sterling, to the President and Fel- 
lows, to be used as they should deem most for the advantage 
of the Institution. The Corporation, judging " that it w^ould 
be most for the benefit and advantage of the College to have 
a Professor of Divinity, and that if the beginning of a fund 
for his maintenance was once laid, it was probable that gen- 
erous donations might be made in addition thereunto," voted 
" that the said sum be sequestered and appropriated for a 
fund for the maintenance of a Professor of Divinity in the 
College," and that in commemoration of Mr. Livingston's 
generosity, the Professor on the foundation be called and 
known by the name and title of Livingston Professor of 
Divinity. Again, at a meeting held in September, 1Y52, 
the Corporation adopted the following preamble and resolu- 
tion : " Whereas, a Professor of Divinity in this College 
woidd upon all accounts be advantageous, and the present 
state of the town of 'New Haven renders such an officer more 
necessary : — Pesolved, that we will endeavor to get a sup- 
port for a Professor of Divinity, as soon as may be, by all such 



10 

ways and means as prudence shall direct." At a later meet- 
ing the same year, they proceeded to elect a Professor, and 
made choice of Rev. Solomon "Williams of Lebanon, inviting 
him to enter on his office as soon as they could procure 
" sufficient means for his support." On account of his age 
and infirmities, he declined the appointment. The General 
Assembly at their session in October of the next year, 
ordered a contribution throughout the churches in aid of the 
new project. Having recounted the religious end for which 
the College was founded, they say : " And whereas, the 
settling a learned, pious and orthodox Professor of Divinity 
in the said College, would greatly tend to promote that good 
end and design ; and whereas, the present incomes of said 
College are but in part sufficient to support such a Pro- 
fessor, — this Assembly being desirous to promote and en- 
courage such a good design, do hereby grant and allow of, and 
order a general contribution to be made in all the religious 
societies in this colony, and recommend the same, both to 
ministers and people, and order that the money raised there- 
by be remitted to the President of said College, to be im- 
proved by the Corporation towards the support of such Pro- 
fessor." The income of one half of the College lands in the 
county of Litchfield, which had been leased out for a long 
term, was devoted to the same object ; a donation was also 
made by Mr. Gershom Clark of Lebanon ; and the sums thus 
obtained, together with the gift of Mr. Livingston, made up 
the requisite amount. At about the same time, the Corpora- 
tion ordained that every person chosen a Fellow, President, 
Professor or Tutor in College, should publicly give his assent 
to the Westminster catechism and confession of faith and 
should renounce all principles contrary thereto, and undergo 
besides such an examination as the Corporation should order.* 
At a special meeting held on the 21st of November, 1753, 

* This test was changed in 1778, on the accession of President Stiles, into 
an assent to the Saybrook platform, and was wholly abolished in 1823. 



11 

the Corporation also requested the President to commence 
preaching at once, in the College Hall, at which all the stu- 
dents should be required to attend ; and they engaged them- 
selves to assist him, each of them promising to supply the 
desk for at least one Sabbath. The Kev. Solomon Williams 
was invited to remain and inaugurate the new service on the 
next Lord's day. On that da3^, accordingl}' , public worship 
was held for the first time on Sunday within the walls of the 
College. ISTothing now remained but to find a suitable per- 
son to fill the new chair. In September, 1755, the Corpora- 
tion fixed on the Rev. Naphtali Daggett, pastor of a church 
at Smithtown on Long Island, as a candidate for the office. 
He arrived in New Haven and began to preach in the fol- 
lowing i^ovember. On the 3d of March, 1756, the President 
and Fellows met, and proceeded to examine Mr. Daggett at 
great length, " as to his principles of religion, his knowledge 
and skill in divinity, cases of conscience, scripture history 
and chronology, antiquity, skill in the Hebrew tongue and 
various other qualifications for a Professor," in all which 
points he gave full satisfaction. On the next day, he 
preached in the College Hall a discourse on the passage in 
I Cor. ii. 2, " For I determined not to know anything among 
you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." He then avow- 
ed his assent to the Westminster catechism and confession of 
faith, and to the Saybrook platform ; declared his belief that 
the Apostles' creed, the Nicene creed and the Athanasian 
creed agree with the word of God ; assented to the ninth of 
the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, being that 
which relates to Original Sin ; and ended by presenting a 
full confession from his own pen, which covers five large, 
closely written pages on the book of Records. Having set 
forth his positive view^s, he concludes this document with 
renouncing and abjuring, in detail, "all the errors and here- 
sies, which commonly go under the name of Arianism, So- 
cinianism, Arminianism, Pelagianism, Antinomianism, and 



12 

Enthusiasm.""^ He was then solemnly inducted into his 
office and a charge was addressed to him, and another to the 
assembled students who were to come under his pastoral 
care. It is a sign of the gratification with which the ad- 
vent of the new Professor was hailed, that in the salutatory 
oration on the ensuing Commencement, he was specially ad- 
dressed in terms of high compliment. Various efforts were 
made by the Ecclesiastical Society in town to bring the College 
back to their congregation ; and an arrangement w^as made 
by which Professor Daggett preached half of the time for 
several months in Mr. Noyes's pulpit, and the students attend- 
ed worship with the First Church, as before. But the result 
of the experiment not being satisfactory to the Corporation, 
the service in College was soon resumed, and since that time 
has been kept up without interruption. The next step was 
the formation of the Church. The Corporation at their meet- 
ing on the 29th of June, 1757, received a petition signed by 
the tutors and several of the students, stating their desire "to 
attend upon the ordinance of the Lord's Supper under the 
administration of the Pev. Professor and to walk together in 
stated Christian communion. "f The signers of the petition 
were the original members of the Church. They were the 
three tutors, Mr. Pichard Woodhull, Mr. Seth Pomeroy and 
Mr. Nathan "Williams; one resident graduate, Mr. John 
Devotion, who afterwards became the pastor of a church in 
Saybrook; and eight undergraduates. These undergradu- 
ates, (of whom all but two became ministers,) as they were 
afterwards designated, were the Pev. Noah Williston of 
"VYest Haven, the Pev. Jonathan Leavitt of Charlemont, 
Mass., the Pev. Bulkley Olcott of Charlestown, N. H., the 
Pe^. Poger Yiets, Episcopal clergyman at Simsbury, the 
Pev. Benjamin Boardman of Haddam, Edmund G. Pawson 
and Lemuel Barnard, Esqs., and the Pev. Pichard C. Graham 

* See Appendix, No. II. 

+ The entire petition may be seen in the Appendix, No. III. 



13 

of Pelham, Mass.* The Corporation immediately voted to 
grant the request made to them, and to organize the peti- 
tioners into a church, which was done on the following day, 
the 30th of June. The College assembled, and listend to a 
sermon from Professor Daggett, on Matt. v. 14, — "Ye are the 
light of the world. A city that is set on a hill, cannot be 
hid." The President then, in the name of the Corporation, 
made a formal address, first to the Professor and then to 
the communicants, declaring them a church and installing 
him as their pastor. f 

These ceremonies took place in the apartment known as 
the College Hall. This was the dining-room of the original 
College edifice, — a long, narrow, wooden building, standing 
on the front of the College yard, just at the corner of 
Chapel and College streets. Could one who was present on 
that occasion, revisit this spot, after the lapse of a hundred 
yearSy he would find little to remind him of the scene. At 
about the time of which we speak, the grounds belonging 
to the College had been enlarged by the buying of land to 
the north and west ; but even after this purchase, they in- 
cluded less than half of the present square. Scattered 
over what is now the College Green, were several shops and 
dwelling houses owned by citizens of the town; and the 
lot on which was afterwards placed the President's house4 
was the property of Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The oldest 
edifice now standing, the South Middle College, was just 
finished. On the completion of the outside of it, in 1752, 

* The Lord's Supper was first administered on the third day of the next July. 
The first person admitted to the church by profession of faith, Mr. Oliver Noble, 
■was received on the llth. day of the same month. He afterwards became a 
pastor, first in Newbury, Mass., then in Coventry, Conn., and finally in New- 
castle, N. H., where he died. He published two discourses, one on the subject 
of Sacred Music, and the other occasioned by the Boston Massacre. 

f See Appendix, No. IV. 

X The first house built for the President, was on or near the spot where the Col- 
lege Street Church (Rev. Mr. Strong's) now stands. The building referred to 
above, the second house built for the President, is now the Analytical Laboratory. 



14 

the President and Fellows walked into it, in procession, and 
the Beadle, by their order, made in Latin the following 
proclamation: "Whereas, through the favor of Divine 
Providence, this new College house has been bnilt, by the 
munificence of the colony of Connecticut: in perpetual 
commemoration of so great generosity, this neat and comely 
building shall be called Connecticut Hall.""^ It shows the 
power of the people in such matters, that this name was 
gradually dropped, although Dr. Dwight exerted himself to 
retain it, and also desired to have the building erected near 
it, ]^orth Middle College, known by the name of Berkeley 
Hall.t 

New Haven, a century ago, lay, for the most part, towards 
the water; and that portion of the town now comprising 
Chapel, Court and Elm streets, and extending from the Green 
as far as State street, did not exhibit more than twenty houses. 
On the Green, stood the Court House with tw^o or three other 
public buildings of diminutive size, together with the solitary 
meeting-house having the ancient burying-ground in the 
rear.:}: The College faculty present at the establishment of the 
church, was composed of the President and three Tutors, no 
Professor having been known until the appointment of Mr. 
Daggett. At first, one class had been entrusted to each 
tutor, and he had continued to instruct it through the four 



* See Appendix, No. V. 

f It is to be regretted that we have no monument of this kind to commemo- 
rate the noble prelate, whose interest in the College is one of the most agree- 
able facts in its early annals. President Clap appears to have been disposed to 
accord with Berkeley's speculations on the subject of matter. " This College," 
says the President, ''will always retain a most grateful Sense of his Generosity 
and Merits ; and probably a favorable Opinion of his Idea of material Sub- 
stance ; as not consisting in an unknown and inconceivable substratum but in a 
stated Union and Combination of Sensible Ideas, excited from without, by some 
Intelligent Being." The rejection of the Bishop's ingenious theory is happily 
consistent with the exercise of gratitude for his beneficence. 

:}: The new meeting-house stood near the S. E. corner of Elm and Church 
streets, on a site at resent covered by St. John's buildings. 



15 

years. But soon after the accession of President Clap, a 
change was made, in consequence of which classes remained 
but three years under their respective tutors. The fourth 
year, they were taught by the President, chiefly in Logic, 
Metaphysics and Theology, — a course of study going under 
the general name of Divinity. Civilians were not added to 
the Corporation until much later, and that body consisted 
of ten ministers, of whom eight attended the exercises on 
the occasion to which we refer. 

It is time for us to explain how these proceedings of the 
College were regarded abroad. Iso sooner was it known to 
be the design of the President to institute a church, than a 
great outcry was raised against the measure. It was con- 
tended that the College was included in the first Ecclesiastical 
Society of ]^ew Haven, and that the establishment of a sepa- 
rate religious society, by an act of the Corporation, was ille- 
gal and disorderly. The act of toleration, passed in 1708, 
had given to dissenters from Congregationalism, the liberty 
to unite in churches by themselves ; and after the year 1729, 
such dissenters were no longer taxed for the support of the 
established worship. But seceding Congregationalists and 
Presbyterians were still obliged to pay a tax to the parish, 
and by a law passed in 1742, were forbidden to employ a 
minister without the consent of its pastor and a majority of 
its members. An ordained minister who should preach with- 
out such permission, might be arrested and carried out of the 
colony as a vagrant. Under this law, the Rev. Samuel Pin- 
ley, afterwards President of the College of ^ew Jersey, was 
twice seized, once in Milford and again in ISTew Haven, and 
carried out of Connecticut in the custody of the sheriff. In 
1743 the ancient act of toleration was repealed in such terms 
as to leave Congregational dissenters wholly without protec- 
tion. ISTone had been more decided in opposing them than 
President Clap ;* and he was now charged with doing 

* See Appendix, No. VI. 



16 

himself what he had so loudly condemned in others. He 
was also accused of going counter to the ecclesiastical con- 
stitution of the colony, by establishing a church without the 
advice and consent of the consociation of the district. Le- 
gal prosecution even, was threatened to bring the College 
back to its former place of worship. Under these circum- 
stances, the President issued, in 1754, a pamphlet entitled The 
Religious Constitution of Colleges. In a temperate argument, 
conducted with much ability, he aimed to show that a college 
by its own nature, and Yale College in particular, by its charter, 
has all the attributes and powers of a religious society. In 
support of his position, he appealed to the acknowledged 
character of the English Universities and to the highest Eng- 
lish authorities. He referred to the fact that the founders 
of the College were ministers, whose main design was the 
promotion of religion. Among the proofs which he brought 
forward and w^hich went far to sustain his view, was the fol- 
lowing preamble to the original charter given in 1701 : 
" Whereas several well disposed and public spirited persons, 
of their sincere regard to and zeal for upholding and propa- 
gating of the Christian Protestant religion, by a succession of 
learned and orthodox men, have expressed by petition their 
earnest desires that full liberty and privilege be granted 
unto certain undertakers for the founding, suitably endow- 
ing and ordering a collegiate school, wherein youth may be 
instructed in arts and sciences, who, through the blessing of 
Almighty God, may be fitted for public employment, both 
in church and civil state: to the intent, therefore, that all 
due encouragement may be given to such pious resolutions, 
and that so necessary and religious an undertaking may be set 
forward, supported and well managed ; — be it enacted," etc. 
He also cited from the doings of the Trustees at their first 
meeting after obtaining their charter, this formal expression 
of their object in the undertaking: "Whereas, it was the 
glorious, public design of our now blessed fathers, in their 
removal from Europe into these parts of America, both 



17 

to plant, and, under the Divine blessing, to propagate in this 
wilderness, the blessed reformed Protestant religion, in the 
pnrity of its order and worship, not only to their posterity, 
bnt also to the barbarous natives : in w^hich great enterprise 
they wanted not the royal commands and favor of His Majesty, 
Charles the Second, to authorize and invigorate them, — 
we their unworthy posterity lamenting our past neglects of 
this grand errand, and sensible of our equal obligations, 
better to prosecute the same end, are desirous in our genera- 
tion to be serviceable thereunto. "Whereunto the religious 
and liberal education of suitable youth is, under the blessing 
of God, a chief and most probable expedient. Therefore, 
that we might not be wanting in cherishing the present ob- 
servable and pious disposition of many well-minded people 
to dedicate their children and substance unto God in such a 
good service ; and being ourselves with sundry other Rever- 
end elders, not only desired by our godly people to un- 
dertake as trustees, for erecting, forming, ordering and regu- 
lating a Collegiate school for the advancement of such 
education: but having also obtained of our present religious 
government, both full liberty and assistance by their dona- 
tions to such a use ; tokens likewise that particular persons 
will not be wanting in their beneficence ; do in duty to God and 
the weal of our country, undertake in the aforesaid design." 
At the same time, the Trustees took special care that the 
Rector should so instruct the students as to establish them in 
" the principles of the Christian Protestant religion." By 
evidence of this sort, the President defended the right of 
the College to determine for itself what religious instruction 
its members should receive, and to maintain separate worship 
within its walls. He vindicated the expediency of the 
measure by alluding to the perils to which the students were 
exposed from the prevalence of religious error, and to the 
manifest propriety and advantage of an arrangement by 
which the preaching could be adapted, in matter and style, to 
the condition of a community so peculiar. In 1Y55, Presi- 

2 



18 

dent Clap published a second pamphlet, entitled, A brief Vin- 
dication of the Doctrines received and established in the 
Churches i?i New England^ intended to prove that the reso- 
lutions of the corporation in 1753, making all candidates for 
office in College subject to a religious test, were in harmony 
with the views of its founders. A pamphlet was published 
against the President by Dr. Benjamin Gale of Killingworth, 
entitled A Letter from a Gentleman in the East to his friend 
in the West. To this, a reply was written by President Clap, 
and printed anonymously. An acrimonious controversy fol- 
lowed. Several additional pamphlets appeared from the pen 
of Dr. Gale, wdiicli were answered by the Pev. John Gra- 
ham of Woodbury. In contending that the College, in vir- 
tue of its nature, is a religious establishment, the President 
had frequently spoken of it as " a religious society of a supe- 
rior nature," and of its members as superior in capacity and 
rank. These expressions were deemed quite offensive, and 
were made a subject of bitter censure by his opponents. But 
tlie ablest of all the pamphlets on their side, was the reply 
to the President's Essay on New England orthodoxy, from 
the pen of Thomas Darling, Esq., Chief Justice of the Court of 
Common Pleas, and an upright and distinguished gentle- 
man of this town. It is worthy of remark, that a few years 
before. Judge Darling had been a tutor in College, and with 
his associates, Chauncey Whittelsey, afterwards minister of 
the First Church in New Haven, and John Whiting, had 
joined President Clap in a declaration against Whitefield, in 
which they condemned some of his proceedings.* At that 
time, the President, with his conservative cast of mind, had 
been alarmed at the novel ways of the New Light preach- 
ers, as they were called ;t but becoming more alive to the 
evils of Arminianism, he grew more reconciled to them. 

* For a further account of this Declaration, see Appendix, No. VII. 

+ "New Lights — a name generally given to zealous people, who appeared to 
love animated, heart-searching and experimental preachers." This definition is 
given by Trumbull, who was himself a New Light. 



19 

He also saw an improvement in their manners, and found 
that the advocates of the New Diviiiity were not disposed to 
surrender the ^^reat doctrines of the Gospel, but to stand by 
them with more vigor than their opponents.^ The Mr. 
Graham of whom I have just spoken, was of that party, 
and had preached the sermon at the organization of the 
separate church in ]^ew Haven. Before I conclude this 
notice of President Clap, I should mention that he gave a 
lot of land, and obtained funds by subscription for the 
erection of a house upon it, for the use of the Professor. It 
was built in 1757; and in the summer of that year, the Pres- 
ident, in the presence of an assembly of gentlemen, "with 
all proper formalities," put him in possession of the new 
dwelling, so long as he should remain faithful to the estab- 
lished standards of faith. f He also procured the building of 
a new Chapel, now the Athenaeum, which was opened in 1763 
for Collegiate exercises, by a sermon from Professor Daggett ; 
and towards evening, on the day of dedication, " two English 
orations were delivered by two of the puj)ils belonging to the 
College.":!: The many improvements made by the President, 
and especially his great victory in the conflict before the Gen- 
eral Asembly for the independence of the College, shed a lus- 
tre upon his administration. But they operated at the time to 
raise up against him numerous enemies, who excited grievous 
disorders in College, and cast a cloud over his last days. 
Though he was a man of imperious will, I have the au- 
thority of President Woolsey for saying that " probably no 
college officer in New England has ever devoted himself to 
his College with more untiring zeal and disinterestedness, 
and on the whole with more success, than President Clap." 

We have now gone through the storm in which the church 
was planted and the story of its future growth is more pleas- 

* For a more full explanation of President Clap's views, see Appendix, No. 
VIII. 

f This ancient house is still standing on York street, south of Chapel street. 
X Connecticut Gazette, July 2, 1163. 



20 

ant. Let iis turn to contemplate, for a moment, the life and 
character of the first Pastor. Dr. Daggett was a native of 
Attleborough, Massachusetts; he was born September 8th, 
1727; and was graduated at this College, with honor, in 
1748. He had been a minister at Smithtown five years, 
when he was called to his place here. He is described by 
one who knew him, as being in person "of about the middle 
height, strong framed, inclining to be corpulent, slow in his 
gait and somewhat clumsy in his movements." He was a 
man of respectable abilities ; well read in theology, but not 
learned in other branches of knowledge. It was the prac- 
tice of Dr. Daggett and of his successors, down to a recent 
period, to preach a course of sermons on systematic theology. 
These were mingled with miscellaneous discourses, and ex- 
tended through the four years, — it having been the design to 
combine in one department the functions of Pastor and 
Teacher of Divinity.* Although chosen to defend a theo- 
logical interest, it is a noteworthy fact that Dr. Daggett kept 
entirely aloof from controversy, and contented himself with 
discharging his ofiicial duties in College. His sermons are 
stated by Dr. Dwight to have been, in the estimation of the 
older part of his hearers, "judicious, clear, solemn and 
impressive."t It was complained, however, that his preach- 
ing lacked inspiration, and that his discussions were too dry 
and abstract to interest the young. Such murmurs were 
owing in part to the rise of a new school, composed of 
such men as Trumbull, Dwight, and the elder Buckminster, 
who devoted themselves with zeal to the study of Khetoric 



* "The Professor of Divinity preaches Sermons in the Chapel every Lord's 
Day, in the Course of a body of Divinity, Doctrinal and Practical; and occa- 
sional Discourses or Lectures at other Times; and frequently gives private 
Counsel and Instruction." — President Clap's History of Yale College, p. 81. 

\ " The Professor [Daggett] was an instructive and excellent preacher: his 
sermons were enriched with ideas and sound divinity; were doctrinal, experi- 
mental and pungent. He was acceptable to the legislature, clergy, and people 
in general." — Trumbull^ History of Connecticut, Vol. 2, p. 326. 



21 

and Literature, and by tlieir more brilliant writing,, made 
the style of the former period seem spiritless. That Dr. 
Daggett was not destitute of wit, may be inferred from a 
passage in his account of the dark day of 1780, published 
in one of the newspapers at the time. "The appear- 
ance," he says, " was indeed uncommon, and the cause un- 
known; yet there is no reason to consider it as supernatural 
or ominous. It is therefore hoped that no persons, whether 
of a vapoury constitution of body, or an enthusiastic turn 
of mind, will be in the least terrified by it; or inspired to 
prophesy any future events till they shall come to pass." 
On the resignation of President Clap in 1766, he was chosen 
President jpro tem^ore^ and continued to act in that capacity 
until three years before his death. One of the most memo- 
rable actions of his life was the part he took in defending 
the town against the British, on the 5th of July, 1779. A 
large force under General Tryon had landed the evening be- 
fore, in the south part of West Haven. To give the inhab- 
itants time to remove their goods, a volunteer company of 
young men, of whom many were students, marched out 
under the command of James Hillhouse,'^ to check their 
approach. As this gallant corps of youth was passing 
West Bridge, they were overtaken by Dr. Daggett on horse- 
back, riding at a furious rate. Having addressed them a 
few patriotic words, he rode on in advance, and took his sta- 
tion on a hill a little apart from the rest. Here, as he was 
attempting to gain a covert of bushes, he was surprised 
by the advance of the enemy, fired upon, and soon taken 
prisoner, — not, however, until he had discharged his musket 
at them from a distance of only twelve rods. With difii- 
culty, they were induced to spare his life. He was cruelly 

* The Hon, James Hillhouse was a graduate of the College, in the class of 
1778. He was a statesman of the school of Washington, and his eminent ser- 
vices to his country form a part of our public history. He was a most valuable 
friend to the College, and served for half a century in the office of Treasurer, 
Mr, Hillhouse died in 1832, at the age of 78 years. 



22 

beaten, robbed and compelled to march into town nnder a 
burning sun. He was tlien released, but never fully recov- 
ered from the effect of his sufferings.^ He had resigned the 
Presidency in AjDril, 1777, but he continued to perform the 
duties of his Professorship until his death, which occurred 
after a short iUness, N'ovember 25th, 1780. The funeral of 
Dr. Daggett was attended by a great concourse of people. 
A sermon was delivered on the occasion by President Stiles, 
and a Latin oration by one of the resident graduates. 

A few months after the death of Dr. Daggett, the Corpo- 
ration met to deliberate upon the choice of a successor. The 
two candidates were Mr. Abraham Baldwin, then a Tutor in 
College, and Rev. Samuel Wales. Mr. Baldwin was elected, 
but having been called to preside over the new University of 
Georgia, he declined the appointment.f At a subsequent 
meeting in September 1781, Mr. Wales was therefore chosen 
to fill the vacancy, and was inducted into his office on the 



* Dr. Daggett's own account of this aiFair may be found in Barber's Historical 
Collections of Connecticut. Two silver cups which had been presented by Presi- 
dent Clap in 1^51, for the communion table, were carried aw^ay by the British on 
the occasion described above. In 1782, several members of the church united 
in giving two cups to take the place of those lost. On the list of these donors, 
as recorded by Dr. Stiles, are the names of Samuel Austin, Abiel Holmes, Jed- 
ediah Morse and Richard Salter Storrs. On the same page of the Church Rec- 
ords, is the following notice of a donation made for another purpose: "Dec. 
13, 1781. At the public Thanksgiving there was a Contribution amounting to 
£8. 1. 6., Silver Money, in the College Chapel, for the sufferers at New London 
lately burned by the enemy." 

f " Mr. Baldwin was invited to Georgia to preside over the University of that 
State ; but the institution not being organized, he entered on political life. In 
1785, he was chosen a delegate from Georgia to the old Congress. In 1787, he 
was sent a delegate to the Convention in Philadelphia, which framed the present 
constitution of the United States. On the adoption of the Constitution, he Avas 
a member of the House of Representatives till 1799 ; when he was transferred 
to the Senate, where he continued till his death. He was born in New Haven, 
September, 1754, and died in the city of "Washington, March 4, 1807. Among 
other preachers in the College Chapel during this vacancy in the Professorship 
of Divinity, was Mr. Joel Barlow, then a candidate for the ministry, more ex- 
tensively known as the author of the Columbiad." — JProf. Kingsley. 



23 

12tli day of the following June.'^ This eminent divine was 
born in E-aynham, Mass., in March, 1748, and belonged to 
the class of 1T67, Avhich includes on its list the distinguished 
names of John Trumbull, Governor Treadw^ell and ]N"atlianael 
Emmons. Having taught for a wdiile in Dr. Wheelock's In- 
dian school at Lebanon, and served for a year as Tutor, he 
was ordained in 1770, at Milford, Connecticut. There he con- 
tinued, with the exception of a short time, when he held the 
office of Chaplain in the Revolutionary army, until his elec- 
tion to his office in Colleo^e. Dr. Wales is described as intel- 
lectual and imposing in his personal appearance, as grave in 
his deportment, and as combining in his religious character 
warm emotions with deep principles. He belonged to the new- 
school, which set a high value on literary culture, and hence 
possessed the graces of style that were missed in his prede- 
cessor. All agree in ascribing to Dr. Wales a singular pow- 
er of eloquence. His discourses were the result of elaborate 
study, and w^ere solid and edifying, as w^ell as attractive. But 
his career of usefulness was short. He was soon attacked 
w^itli a nervous disease, wdiich gradually became an incurable 
epilepsy. While in the pulpit, he was not unfrequently seized 
with a paroxysm of his disorder, and obliged to suspend the 
service. A voyage to Europe, undertaken for the benefit of 
his health, proved ineffectual ; and after enduring much suf- 
fering for several years, being at times deprived of reason, 
he died on the ISth of Eebruary, 1794. The funeral sermon 
was preached by Dr. Dana, and his eulogy was pronounced 
in Latin by President Stiles. f Li his epitaph, which is also 
believed to have been w^ritten by Dr. Stiles, he is said to have 



* The meeting of the Corporation for the examination of Dr. Wales, was held 
at Hartford on the occasion of the Annual Election. He was examined not only 
with reference to his proficiency in theology, but also in other branches of sci- 
ence, including Natural Philosophy. 

f In this discourse. President Stiles "announced his text (I Sam. xxv. 1) in 
the original Hebrew, and the discourse itself was in Latin ; the last exhibition 
of the kind, probably, in New England." — King sle ij s Life of Stiles, p. 60. 



24 

filled the Professorsliip of Divinity in the College " with dis- 
tinguished reputation and honor, for almost twelve }- ears ; 
eminent for superior abilities, solemnity in pulpit eloquence, 
for clear and just views in theology, and a most venerable 
piety." 

During the prolonged illness of Dr. "Wales, it became the 
duty of the President, with such assistance as he might pro- 
cure, to supply his place. At his election in 1177, Dr. Stiles 
had likewise been appointed Professor of Ecclesiastical His- 
tory, and he was accustomed to deliver, each week, a lecture 
on that subject in the Chapel. While possessing decided 
points of excellence, as a preacher, his constant impulse to 
communicate his stores of learning, made him less fitted for 
the pulpit than for the chair of instruction.^ It having be- 
come clear that Dr. Wales would never be able to resume 
his ofiice, the Corporation had proceeded, in September, 
1793, to choose a successor. Dr. Lathroj), of West Spring- 
field, Mass., was elected, but declined the call. After the ac- 
cession of Dr. Dwight to the presidency, several attempts 
were made, without success, to fill the vacancy.f The duties 
of the place continued to be discharged by the President, at 
the request of the Corporation, annually repeated, until the 

* The theological character of Dr. Stiles is discussed in the Appendix, No. IX. 
It is an ancient custom for the President, on Sunday, to sit in the pulpit with 
the Professor of Divinity. The Biographer of Dr. Stiles observes of him : " On 
the Lord's day, he was peculiarly attentive to the preservation of order and de- 
cency ; and to this end, strictly enjoined it on the Tutors to visit the chambers 
of the students on that day. When the Professor of Divinity began his sermon 
in the Chapel, the President rose and cast his eyes, with minute attention, over 
all the students, first on one side of the Chapel, and then on the other, to see 
that they were properly seated and decently attentive. By such vigilant inspec- 
tion, he preserved a stillness and solemnity, which the eminent talents of the 
Professor might not, alone, have uniformly insured." 

f The persons successively chosen to the office, at this time, all of whom, for 
various reasons, declined the appointment, were the Rev. David Parsons, of 
Amherst, Mass., Rev. John Gemmil, of Pleasant Yalley, Pa., Rev, Charles 
Backus, D. D., of Somers, Conn., and Mr. Henry Davis, then a Tutor in College. 
Mr. Davis was prevented from taking the office, only by ill health. 



25 

year 1805, wlien lie consented to take the Professorship of 
Divinity, in connection with the office to which he had first 
been chosen.^ Previous to this time, he had preached on 
Sunday mornings, from brief notes, the sermons comprised 
in his theological sj^stem. These he now wrote ont and de- 
livered to successive generations of students, until the end of 
his life. They underwent, however, much revision from time 
to time ; and his miscellaneous discourses, which were 
usually given in the afternoon, and were from the first 
more fully written, continued to multiply. The recitations 
of the Senior class before him on Saturdays, always related 
to some theological topic ; and on the evening of Saturday, 
it was his habit to attend the devotional meeting established 
under President Stiles, in 1780. The great merits of Dr. 
Dwight are never questioned : his character requires no eulo- 
gy ; and I shall simply state the impressions I have gained 
from the perusal of his theological writings, and from the 
reports of those who enjoyed his teaching. With the name 
of President Dwn'ght, we always associate the conception of 
a large, well balanced, well furnished mind. His reading, 
especially in youth, was extensive ; and w^ould have been 
more thorough, had not his eye-sight been early impaired ; 
and his travels, together with his chequered experience, as 
legislator, chaplain in the army, and parish minister, had 
shown him many phases of life. His temper w^as ardent to 
a fault, but at the same time generous and magnanimous. 
He was, in a degree, conscious that nature had marked him 
for a leader, and qualified him for a wide influence : and this 
just feeling of superiority lent powder and dignity to all his 
performances. Says one who is able to testify on this point, 
as few are, — '' he was preeminently a conscientious, disin- 
terested man, under the influence of a deep and earnest piety, 
without the least pretense or afifectation of sanctity. His 
character has often presented itself to my admiration and 

*ror remarks on the progress of the New Divinity, see Appendix, No. X. 



26 

love, but never so impressively as under the aspect of so 
much greatness, controlled by so much principle."'^' 

The sermons of Dr. Dwight, if they seldom strike out 
trains of original thought, present in a lucid form, and defend 
by apposite and fervid argument, the great substance of 
established truth. If he does not, like his illustrious ances- 
tor, President Edwards, display the genius of a discoverer in 
the department of religious science, he is free from the 
faults into which the discoverer is liable to fall. His wri- 
tings are not marred by exaggerated statements or one-sided 
views of Christian doctrine. They are so judicious and 
moderate in handling difficult and controverted themes, so 
candid in dealing with error, so affectionate in their tone, 
and withal so complete in the range of topics discussed, that 
notwithstanding all that has been written since, I know not 
where to find a system of theology more w^orthy to be read. 

Of the influence of Dr. Dwight within College and abroad, 
there will be an occasion to speak in another part of the dis- 
course. The effect of his exertions and example in elevating 
the current style of preaching, may be mentioned here. He 
broke up the metaphysical mode of discussion so prevalent 
at that time in the pulpit, and introduced a more popular 
and instructive method of address. In this needed reform, 
which brought religious truth to bear on all classes of the 
community, he did more, perhaps, than any of his contempo- 
raries. The death of Dr. Dwight occurred on the 11th of 
January, 1817. A discourse was preached to the immense 
assembly gathered at his funeral, by the Rev. Dr. Chapin, of 
Rocky Hill ; and a month later, an appropriate eulogy was 
pronounced on his life and character, by Professor Silliman. 

At the next Commencement, my honored predecessor, 
Dr. Eleazar T. Fitch, who was then a resident graduate 
of the Andover Theological Seminary, w^as elected to 
the Professorship of Divinity. He was inaugurated and or- 

* From the Rev. Dr. Taylor's Letter in Sprague's Annals of the American 
Pulpit. 



27 

dained, on the 5th of ]^ovember, 1817. The sermon on that 
occasion was preached by the Eev. Dr. Elliott, of East Guil- 
ford, (now Madison,) a member of the corporation. In con- 
sequence of the increased number of students, the old chapel 
which had been nsed for public worship more than sixty 
years, was found to be too small to accommodate them ; and 
the present edifice was erected, and dedicated on the 27th of 
November, 1824. Dr. Eitch closed his long and able minis- 
try by resigning his office at the Commencement in 1852. 
During the thirty -five years in which he sustained the pastoral 
office, there were admitted to the church by profession, fonr 
hundred and forty persons, and by letter, nine hundred and for- 
ty-five, — in all, thirteen hundred and eighty-five communi- 
cants.'^" It is convenient to mention in this place, that the Con- 
fession of Faith and Covenant now in use, were introduced 
when Dr. D wight became the pastor. f The previous confess- 
ion, which was drawn by President Clap, was equally short 
and simple. The practice of incorporating an entire system 
of theology into the creeds of our Congregational Churches, 
came into vogue with the dissensions that followed the great 
Revival. Our Church has happily kept clear of this pernicious 
and unjustifiable custom. While it has properly required of 
its teachers at their ordination, a full and satisfactory state- 
ment of their belief, it has only exacted of its communicants 
an assent to such articles of faith as lie at the foundation of 
Christian experience. In this way, it has excluded from 
communion few, if any, real believers. On this catholic 
and only lawful basis, may it always continue to stand ! 

Thus far your attention has chiefly been directed to the 
external afiairs of the Church, and to the succession of its 
pastors. We turn now to contemplate the events that per- 

* Could Dr. Fitch be persuaded to publish his Discourses, they would be 
seen (aside from their importance as contributions to theological science) to 
have a homiletic value, excelled by no similar work ever produced in this 
country. 

f They may be read in the Appendix, No. XI. 



28 

tain more closely to its spiritual life and liistorv. Numerous 
revivals of religion, extending backward in a series over 
more than a century, deserve particular notice. The first of 
these, of which we possess an account, occurred in 1741, 
about fifteen years before the Church was organized.^ It 
was occasioned in part by the labors of Whitefield. Tliis 
celebrated man made his first visit to New Haven the pre- 
ceding year. He preached several times, and in one of his 
sermons, as he reports in his Journal, " spoke very closely to 
the students, and showed the dreadful ill consequences of an 
unconverted ministry." The interest in religion excited by 
his preaching, continued to increase after his departure. In 
March, 1741, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, the celebrated revi- 
val preacher of New Jersey, came to this phice and remain- 
ed for a week, preaching often in Mr. Noyes's Church, and 
two or three times in the College Hall. " Every one in Col- 
lege,'' says an eye-witness, " appeared to be under a degree 
of awakening and conviction." It was observed that the 
old distinction of higher and lower classes, w^as entirely bro- 
ken over; and the more zealous students visited every room, 
conversing on the subject of religion with the utmost free- 
dom and j)lainness. Among the persons thus visited was a 
Senior, who though belonging to a church, had begun to feel 
that he had never experienced the power of religion in his 
heart. In a narrative written long afterw^ards, he says of his 
visitor, then a member of the Junior class : " I was not at a 
loss as to his design in making me a visit then, determining 
that he came to satisfy himself whether I were a Christian 
or not. And I resolved to keep him in the dark and to pre- 
vent his getting any knowledge of my state of religion. I 
was therefore wholly on the reserve, being conscious that I 
had no religious experience or religious aflections to tell of. 

* There was a revival in New Haven in 1736. Among the persons then con- 
verted was Aaron Burr, afterwards President of the College of New Jersey, who 
was at that time pursuing his studies here, as a resident graduate. — Bacort's His- 
torical Discourses^ p. 200. 



29 

In his conversation with me, he observed that he believed it 
impossible for a person to be converted, and to be a real 
Christian, without feeling his heart at some times at least, 
sensibly and greatly affected with the character of Christ, 
and strongly going out after him, or to that purpose. This 
remark struck conviction into my mind." The result was 
his conversion, and the formation of a religious character 
whose purity has seldom been equalled. For the writer of 
this narrative was Dr. Samuel Hopkins, Author of the Sys- 
tem of Divinity. And the young man who ventured thus to 
address him was David Brainerd. A few months before en- 
tering College, while walking in a solitary place in the eve- 
ning, meditating on religious truth, the mind of Brainerd 
had been illuminated with new views of the Divine excel- 
lence, and he had caught sight " of a glory in the character 
of God and in the way of salvation by the crucified Son of 
the Most High," which he had never before discerned. In 
this experience, which grew more refined and exalted, he 
went on for a few years, until overcome by the hardships of 
his missionary service among the Indians, he laid down his 
life at the age of twenty -nine. The extent of this first revival, 
as well as its results, are thus described by President Ed- 
wards. "It w^as for a time," he says, "very great and gen- 
eral at l^ew Haven, and the College had no small share in it. 
That Society was greatly reformed ; and the students in gen- 
eral became serious, many of them remarkably so, and much 
engaged in the concerns of their eternal salvation. How- 
ever undesirable the issues of the awakenings of that day 
have appeared in others, there have been manifestly happy 
and abiding efifects of the impressions made on many of the 
members of that College." More than half of the students 
in the three upper classes devoted themselves to the ministry ; 
and it is said that a large part of those who selected other 
employments, were distinguished through life as the friends 
of vital religion. 

In the year 1745, Whitefield made his second visit to l^ew 



30 

Haven. Tlie extravagance of some of liis itinerant imitators 
whom he was supposed to encourage, together with the un- 
just and imprudent remarks which he had published con- 
cerning the clergy and the colleges, had given great offense 
to many good men. The General Association, on learning 
his intention to travel through the State, passed a vote of 
disapprobation, and requested the ministers not to admit him 
into their pulpits. Accordingly^ he was not invited to preach 
in Mr. I^oyes's Cliurch. But he preached from a platform 
raised in front of Mr. Pierpont's house^ in Elm street, to a 
vast concourse assembled from this and the neighboring 
towns. It is probable, however, that the opposition made to 
him, and the contentions that had sprung up in town, pre- 
vented his discourse from producing the wonted effect. 

The next revival took place in 1757, soon after the com- 
mencement of Dr. Daggett's ministry. How extensive it 
was, the Records do not enable us to determine. On ac- 
count of the controversies attending the formation of the 
church, but few of the students then in College came for- 
ward to join it. Of the one hundred and fifty-seven persons 
in the four classes, only eleven were at any time connected 
with the College Church, although not less than one-third of 
the whole number, afterwards became ministers. 

I have ascertained that, in 1764, Whitefield visited ISlew 
Haven for the third time, and, as is supposed, preached in 
the College Chapel. An extraordinary event had occurred 
just before his arrival. Some Frenchmen residing in town, 
who had remained neutral in the war between England and 
France, in wdiich the Colonies were actively engaged, had 
taken mortal offense at the conduct of certain wild students. 
Determined on revenge, they gained admission into the 
kitchen where the food for the commons was prepared, and 
contrived to mix arsenic with a dish that was to be placed 
on the table. A great number ol the students were seized 

* Which stood on the spot now occupied by the house of Mrs. Judge Bristol. 



31 

witli severe illness; but by immediately resorting to medical 
aid, most, if not all, recovered. It was remembered that 
Whitefield made this singular occurrence an occasion of 
giving a solemn admonition to his hearers, and a considera- 
ble number were brought to repentance.* After he had 
taken leave of the students, " such w^as the impression he had 
made on their minds, that they requested the President to go 
after him, to entreat for another ' quarter of an hour's exhor- 
tation 1' He complied with the request, and the effect was 
what he called ' the crown of the expedition.' "f 

* The fact of Whitefield's third visit, was first brought to my notice by the 
brief memoir of Dr. Isaac Lewis, in Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit. 
Dr. Lewis was one of the persons thus affected by Whitefield's discourse. He 
frequently narrated the circumstances; and the text of his funeral sermon 
(which was delivered in 1840 by Rev. Noah Coe) was I Cor. iii. 11 ; "the same 
text with that upon which Whitefield preached the sermon in Yale College 
Chapel, which had been the means of awakening his mind to religion more 
than three quarters of a century before." Mr. Coe states that Dr. Lewis used 
to repeat the text as Whitefield pronounced it with his Welsh accent : ' For 
other foundash-on can no man laa [a as in lad] than is laad^^ etc. An account 
of the poisoning of the students' food is given in the following extract from a 
letter to Dr. Stiles, from his father-in-law, Mr. John Hubbard. This letter is 
dated at New Haven, 16th of April, 1764. "Last Saturday, being at court, about 
noon, we were surprised by a very melancholy story from College. Eighty-two of 
the students were seized with violent vomiting, great thirst, weakness in the ex- 
tremities, and some with spasms and other symptoms of poison. By the use of 
emetics, oleaginous and mucilaginous draughts, they are recovered, saving that 
some are yet weak in their joynts, and affected in their eyes. The Physicians 
conjecture it to be arsenic mixed with the cake on which all breakfasted. The 
French people are very generally suspected. There has been as yet no enquiry 
by the civil authority, hoping that something may transpire that may be taken 
hold of." 

It seems strange that Whitefield preached in the College Chapel, after the 
condemnation pronounced upon him by the faculty. Yet, twenty years had passed 
away since "the Declaration" against him had been published; the College had 
meantime come into sympathy and cooperation with the New Light ministers, 
and Whitefield about this time made peace with the faculty of Harvard. 
Hence, as it would appear, his relations to the Rector had become so amicable, 
that the latter invited him to preach. It is pleasant to be assured that this 
Apostle in love and zealous labor left his benediction on our College. 

f Belcher's Life of Whitefield, p. 380. 



Foi' about fifteen years after this, we have no knowledge 
that there was any special attentiveness to religion here. 
But we find the following passage in the diary of Dr. Stiles, 
written in 1781, while he was acting as Professor of Divin- 
ity: ''Praised be God! I have reason to hope the blessed 
Spirit hath wrought effectually on the hearts of sundry, who 
have, I think, been brought home to God, and experienced 
what flesh and blood cannot impart to the human mind."* 
Under the labors of Dr. Wales, a revival of religion began 
in 1Y83, of which an account is given by Dr. Holmes, in his 
life of President Stiles. "In the course of this summer 
(that of 1783,) considerable additions," he says, "were made 
to the College Church. It had never been so large since its 
foundation, as it was rendered by these accessions. The 
President and the Professor of Divinity had previously en- 
tertained great solicitude for this little flock, which was 
almost entirely composed of members of tlie Senior Class, 
w^bo were soon to leave the University. The admission of 
eighteen new members from the other classes within one 
month, was justly viewed as a very interesting and joyful 
event. The writer, at least, must charge himself with impi- 
ety, should he forget an event of which he was an eye-wit- 
ness, and which he is certain caused many thanksgivings to 
God.t" 

After the persons converted in this revival had gone from 
College, there followed a long period of gloom in its religious 

* Dr. Stiles has left in the Book of Records of the Church, the following 
statement of the number of members present on several occasions, when he ad- 
ministered the Lord's Supper: — 1780, Dec. 3, to 12 communicants; 1781, Jan. 
7, to 15 ; March 4, to 13 ; April 1, to 13 ; May 6, to 9 ; July 1, to 17 ; Aug. 5, 
to 14; Sept. 2, to 14; Dec. 2, to 17; 1782, Jan'y 6, to 13; March 3, to 15; 
April 7, to 16; May 5, to 9." On the accession of Dr. Wales, the whole num- 
ber of church members, including the College officers, was twenty-one. 

f Holmes's Life of Stiles, p. 286. After recording in the Church Records 
the names of ten persons admitted, on profession of their faith, at the Com- 
munion, July 27, 1783, Dr. Wales appends the ejaculation: "Triuni Deo Gloria 
etLaus!" 



33 

affairs. The war of the Ee volution had left the piety of the 
country in a very depressed condition. The shallow and con- 
temptuous infidelity of the French school was widely diffused ; 
and was mingled in the cultivated class with the more plausi- 
ble theories of English Deism, and with the skeptical specu- 
lations of Hume. Unbelief had become prevalent and re- 
spectable in College. The number of professed Christians 
had dwindled to eight or ten ; and on one occasion, but a 
single undergraduate communicant, Mr. Shubael Bartlett, of 
the class of 1800, was present at the communion. It was in 
this state of things that Dr. D wight assumed the presidency, 
and began to exert his commanding eloquence to stay the 
progress of error. He preached to the candidates for the 
Baccalaureate in 1797, his celebrated sermons on the " Na- 
ture and Danger of Infidel Philosophy." With fair and 
strong argument, he attacked the foundations on which the 
infidel schemes were built, blending his reasoning with pow- 
erful invective and pathetic appeals to the conscience and 
heart. These masterly discourses turned the tide of feeling 
against the opponents of Christianity. ITot only in College, 
but throughout the country and in Great Britain, where they 
were soon republished, they greatly strengthened the cause 
of religion. At the same time, in consequence of a religious 
awakening in the surrounding region, the number of pious 
students was somewhat augmented. The spring of 1802 
marked the commencement of a great revival in College. 
The attentiveness to religion soon became general. Says the 
Kev. Dr. Porter, of Farmington, who was then a member of 
the Junior class : " Those were truly memorable days. Such 
triumphs of grace, none whose privilege it was to witness 
them, had ever before seen. So sudden and so great was the 
change in individuals, and in the general aspect of the Col- 
lege, that those who had been waiting for it, were filled with 
wonder as well as joy, and those who knew not 'what it 
meant,' were awe-struck and amazed. Wherever students 
were found, in their rooms, in the Chapel, in the Hall, in their 

3 



34 

walks about the city, the reigning impression was, ' surely 
God is in this place.' The salvation of the soul was the great 
subject of thought, of conversation, of absorbing interest; 
the convictions of many were pungent and overwhelming ; 
and the ' peace in believing ' which succeeded, was not less 
strongly marked. Yet amidst these overpowering impres- 
sions, there was no one, except a single individual, who, hav- 
ing resisted former convictions, yielded for a short time to 
dangerous temptations, in whose conduct anything of a wild 
or irrational character appeared." The same state of feeling 
continued over the vacation and during the summer. Of the 
two hundred and thirty students then in College, about one- 
third were converted, among whom was the distinguished 
Secretary of the American Board of Missions, Jeremiah 
Evarts. About thirty-live of these entered the ministry.* 
The limits of the discourse forbid that I should describe 
at length the ntimerous revivals which have occurred, at 
intervals of a few years since the beginning of the 
present century. The leading events connected with them, 
have been before narrated in an Article by Professor 
Goodrich. Under the preaching of Dr. D wight, came an- 
other revival in 1808, occasioned very much by his affecting 
sermon on the young man of ITain, whom the Saviour raised 
from the dead ; still another in 1812-13, when Elias Corne- 
lius was the fii^t of twenty converts; and two years after- 
wards, a fourth revival, when not far from eighty students 
began the Christian life. The immediate cause, in the last 
case, of the great change, was the reading at Sabbath eve- 
ning prayers, of an account of the death of Sir Francis 
l^ewport, since published in the form of a tract. It was then 
the custom for the members of the Senior class, in their or- 

* It is a noteworthy fact that immediately after the converts in this revival left 
College, and new classes entered in their place, the Church was again reduced 
to the number of twelve or fifteen members. The circumstance shows how 
speedily the religious aspect of College may be entirely altered by the departure 
of one company of students, and the arrival of another of a different character. 



35 

der on the catalogue, to read at prayers on Sunday night, a 
short sermon, or other piece, selected by the faculty.*^ ''The 
person" (I quote from Dr. Goodrich) "to whom the duty fell 
that evening, was very far from being seriously inclined ; but 
the solemn recitals of the narrative, which he had never before 
seen, affected his mind so deeply that he read with increased 
emotion as he advanced, and at last ended in a faltering ac- 
cent and with tears. Such an exhibition of feeling, where it 
was least expected, operated at once, with a kind of electric 
power, on the whole body of the students. Nearly every in- 
dividual in College became anxious for the salvation of his 
soul ; and those who had been most thoughtless, seemed to 
be most affected." The revivals in 1820, 1825, and 1827, 
added largely to the number of Christian disciples ; but per- 
haps the most memorable reformation of this sort in the his- 
tory of the College, occurred in 1831, when the attention to 
religion was universal. At that time, not less than seventy- 
four were added to the College Church, and about thirty to 
other Churches : while the number of converts in town of 
every denomination, was estimated at nine hundred.f The 
revivals in College, both ancient and recent, have been un- 
der the guidance of experienced and discriminating men.;]: 
They have not been seasons of mere agitation ; but times 
when religious instruction has been carefully imparted. 
They have been proved to be genuine by the improve- 
ment in morals, which has invariably followed in their 
train. And they have supplied the Churches of the land 
with a body of ministers, whose ability and devotion to their 

* In early times, it was the practice of both resident graduates and under- 
graduates to commit sermons to memory, and "pronounce them publicly in the 
College Hall." 

•j- Further details of this revival are given in the Appendix, No. XII. 

X It was the custom of Dr. Dwight to insist on the spirit of obedience as the 
principal evidence of a genuine conversion to God, and to discourage a reliance 
on excited emotions. " To form that spirit and direct it aright," says Professor 
Goodrich, " was the great object of his instructions to young believers." He 
taught them to find satisfying proof of their sincerity by living a holy life. 



36 

work are beyond a question. If in later days the revivals 
have not been of so marked a character, they have been 
more frequent ; and the Church has seldom, for any length 
of time, been as large, either absolutely or relatively to the 
whole number of students, as it is now. The series of revi- 
vals to which I have adverted, has shown the importance of 
the Church, and its value to the College. The union of 
Christian students in this way, secures concert of action ; the 
entire community, by hearing the same teaching from the 
pulpit, which may be adapted to its special condition, is in 
a state to be more easily affected by the Gospel ; and a com- 
mon sentiment, when it is once aroused, can be far more safe- 
ly guided. 

In recounting its religious history, it is proper to notice 
what the College has done for theological science. The 
fathers of 'New England theology — Edwards, Bellamy, Hop- 
kins, West, Smalley, Emmons, and Dwight — went forth from 
Yale.* The first and most eminent of these, after taking his 
degree, remained here for several years as resident graduate, 
and afterwards as Tutor. Here, in his own judgment, his 
religious life began : here his principles were formed, and he 
received the discipline which prepared him to take the high- 
est rank in the field of intellectual science. Bellamy, who 
was converted soon after leaving College, and Hopkins, 
were pupils of Edwards. Erom Hopkins, West derived his 
theology ; Smalley studied with Bellamy, and Emmons with 
Smalley. These men, and especially the foremost one among 
them, who gave the impulse to all the rest, have strongly in- 
fiuenced the thinking of the age. Whatever is distinctive 
in American theology as contrasted with the general the- 
ology of the Church, may be traced to them. And they 
have not acted upon this country alone. The two men, who, 



* The younger Jonathan Edwards is the only one of the leading expounders 
of the New Divinity who was educated elsewhere. He was a graduate of Nas- 
sau Hall. 



37 

considered as theologians, have perhaps enjoyed the highest 
consideration among the later English divines, — Chalmers 
and Andrew Fnller, acknowledge that they were taught 
their science by President Edwards. ITo work on systematic 
divinity has had snch currency and authority in Great Bri- 
tain, at least outside the established Church of England, 
as the Sermons of Dr. D wight. In that country they have 
passed through not less than forty editions. So much has 
been done by the school of divines educated at this College, 
in moulding theological opinion. The leaders of the various 
parties in theology among us, who have contended in recent 
times, were most of them instructed by Dr. Dwight, and 
profess to deduce their views from his teaching. Yale Col- 
lege has borne a theological stamp from the outset. Its chief 
design was to furnish the churches with competent ministers 
of the Gospel. For a long time, theological studies, inclu- 
ding the Hebrew language, held a prominent place in the un- 
dergraduate course. The President was a teacher of Divinity, 
and the first professorship created was in that department.* 
For a long period, after the need of a more extended course 
of preparation for the ministry began to be felt. Dr. Dwight 
taught classes of resident graduates,who were looking forward 
to the sacred office. And, at length, in pursuance of a design 
which he had long cherished, and by the aid of a benefaction 
given at his request, the means for theological training were 
enlarged by the creation of a separate department, — the Cor- 
poration founding their act on the declaration so often made 
before, that, "one of the principal objects of the pious Foun- 
ders of this College was the education of pious young men 
for the work of the ministry."f In the Seminary thus origi- 
nated, about six hundred young men have received instruc- 
tion, of whom a large part are laboring with zeal and success 
in the Western States. 

The large concern the church has had in the educational 

* See Appendix, No. XIII. f See Appendix, No. XIV. 



38 

influence which the College has exerted abroad, entitles this 
topic to special attention. The founder of Dartmouth Col- 
lege, Dr. Eleazar "Wheelock, who was an advocate of the 
Kew Divinity, and an effective preacher in the great revival, 
was graduated here in 1733. The persons most efficient in es- 
tablishing ISTew Jersey College, including its first three Presi- 
dents, John Dickinson, Aaron Burr and Jonathan Edwards, 
were graduates of Yale.* The first President of the Univer- 
sity of Georgia, Josiah Meigs, was educated and had served 
as Professor, in this institution. The first President of Wil- 
liams College, Dr. Ebenezer Fitch, who was also an active 
agent in founding it ; the first two Presidents of Middlebury 
College ; the first President, and all the Presidents but one 
of Hamilton College ; the first President of Wabash College, 
the first President of Jacksonville College ; the first Presi- 
dent of Beloit College — leaving out others of whom I can- 
not speak with entire certainty — were graduated at Yale, and 
were most of them, if not all, members of the College Church. 
Jacksonville College was established by a colony of seven 
young men from this Theological Seminary. Yale has fur- 
nished forty Presidents to thirty different Colleges, and one 
hundred and fifteen Professors, of whom some have gone to 
nearly every State of the Union. Iji building up special 
schools of theology, also, many who are indebted for their 
religious training to this Church, have had a conspicuous part. 
]N"ot to speak of the first instructors of our own institution, 
it is sufficient to advert to the labors of Stuart and Griffin 
at Andover, of Beecher at Cincinnati, and of Nettleton and 

* Dr. Stiles took a deep interest in the establishment of Brown University, 
and the charter of that venerable institution was drafted by a committee con- 
sisting of hira and Mr. WilUam EUery. According to Professor Kingsley, "it 
is highly probable, from internal evidence, that the charter was drawn princi- 
pally by Dr. Stiles ; Mr. Ellery having Httle concern in preparing it, except to 
see to the correctness of the legal language. Whoever drew it, he had previ- 
ously before him the charters of Yale College, and was familiar with the ques- 
tions which had arisen with respect to them," " It is, undoubtedly, in many re- 
spects, one of the best College charters in New England." — Life of Stiles, p. 35. 



39 

Tyler at East Windsor. And I would not, in alluding to 
what the College has done for education, omit the name of 
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, whose views of Christian duty 
were gained under the preaching of Dr. Dwight, and to 
whose benevolent activity the various establishment^, in dif- 
ferent States for teaching the deaf and dumb, owe their ex- 
istence. Could we get at the history of the countless acade- 
mies scattered over the length and breadth of the land, we 
could better appreciate the vast aid which members of this 
congregation have rendered to the cause of piety and learn- 
ing, during the century that is past. 

Still more, on this occasion, are we called on to notice the 
part taken by this Church, and by the College before the 
Church was formed, in the work of Missions. The first mis- 
sionary to the Stockbridge Indians, the pious John Sergeant, 
was educated here, was converted in College, and after he 
had completed the course, remained four years in the ofiice 
of tutor. His successor at Stockbridge was Jonathan Ed- 
w^ards, w^ho found time in the leisure hours of three months, 
while diligently preaching to the savages, to compose the 
treatise on the will, which has caused him to be regarded by 
the ablest men of the age as " a prodigy of metaphysical acu- 
men." John Brainerd, who followed his brother David in 
laboring with self-denying love among the Indians in 'New 
Jersey, was also a graduate of this College in the class of 
1746.* The whole number of Yale graduates who have been 
engaged in Home Missions, has not been ascertained ; but 
you cannot travel far in any of our new States without meet- 



* Israel Brainerd, another brother of David Brainerd, entered Yale College, 
but died before the time for his graduation, and is buried in the cemetery at New 
Haven. President Edwards says of him, " that he was an ingenious, serious, 
studious, and hopefully pious person ; there appeared in him many qualities 
giving hope of his being a great blessing in his day. But it has pleased God, 
since the death of his brother [David,] to take him away also. He died at New 
Haven, January 6, 1*748, of a nervous fever, after about a fortnight's illness.'' 
— Life of Brainerd in Edwards's Works, Vol. X, (DivigJifs Ed.) pp. 4 and 6. 



40 

ing with men who were trained either in the College or the 
Seminary. Among the pioneers in different portions of the 
foreign field, may be mentioned Meigs, one of the first mis- 
sionaries to Ceylon, Thurston and Whitney, of the first com- 
pany that went out to the Sandwich Islands, Champion, one 
of the band who commenced the mission in South Africa, 
and Parker, an early and efficient missionary in China. Tlie 
whole number of foreign missionaries from this College, has 
been about fifty ;* and if this number appears not so large 
as it should be, it deserves to be remarked that many of the 
persons on the list have been eminent for their talents and 
scholarship, and are such as would have attained to high dis- 
tinction, had they chosen to stay in their own land. I need 
only remind you of Azariah Smith, and the wonderful 
energy displayed by him in his missionary career ; of the 
saintly Stoddard, who joined our Church by profession of 
faith, while a member of College ; and of Eli Smith, who 
earned, while doing his appropriate duties, so honorable a 
place in the esteem of scholars. Several of the younger 
missionaries on this list who are now living, have been en- 
couraged by their instructors here, to undertake their work, 
on account of their high intellectual, as well as spiritual ex- 
cellence. In their connection with this Church, in their en- 
deavors to benefit their fellow students, they had shown an 
uncommon power to do good, and a readiness to exert it. 

In regard to the education of ministers, their total number, 
since the foundation of the College, is upwards of sixteen 
hundred and fifty, or more than a quarter of its graduates. 
As might be expected from the state of the clerical profes- 
sion in former days, compared with other pursuits, the pro- 
portion of ministers, though gradually falling off even then, 
was larger the first seventy years than afterwards. Begin- 
ning with 1775, and casting the time since into sections of 
fifteen years, we find the ratio of ministers to have been 

* For a list of the missionaries educated at Yale College, see Appendix, No. XV. 



41 

highest between 1820 and 1835. But in the period ending 
with 1850, the ratio was above that of the period which 
ends with 1820, and equal to the average of all these periods 
added together, if we leave out the fortunate epoch I have 
mentioned, which terminates in 1835.* Since 1850, our 
means for a calculation are inadequate ; but the number of 
ministers appears likely to increase, rather than grow less, for 
several years to come. From the statements just made, it 
will be seen that the College is not heedless of the chief end 
for which it was established. 

In bringing this historical sketch to a close, permit me to 
say how strongly I have been impressed with the progress of 
the College during the last century. I do not refer to the in- 
creased number of students, or to the richer advantages for 
culture afforded them ; but to the striking improvement in 
the morals of College, and in the general tone of sentiment 
and behavior.f Let us thankfully acknowledge that the 
present is a great deal better than the past. While there is 
room for much further advance in this direction, it is still 
true that much has been done already. The Pastors and 
members of this Church, in their successive generations, 
have not labored here in vain. It is a popular idea that a 
College is more wicked than other places, and a company of 
students more corrupt than other classes in society, and that 
a Church in College is of necessity, or in point of fact, 
grossly deficient in godliness. Such ideas are wholly ground- 
less. These current notions spring out of fallacies, which 
might be easily exposed. The career of the men who have 
been trained in this College, and in the College Church for 
the past hundred years, one would think, might serve as an 
answer to such injurious charges. 

In this survey of the past, two thoughts have struck my 
mind with new force. The first is, the great privilege we 
have in heing connected with the Church in this ancient seat 

* See Appendix, No. XYI. f See Appendix, No. XVII. 



42 

of learning. We labor for Christ in the place where the 
honored men who have passed before ns to-day — D wight, 
Daggett, Clap, Stiles, Wales — gave their lives to the same 
cause. Here their prayers went up to Heaven on behalf of the 
generations that were to follow, when their work should be 
over. Their footsteps have worn the ground where you daily 
tread. And your walks go near their graves. Here Jona- 
than Edwards meditated on the glory and sweetness of the 
Saviour ; and here a long line of holy men, from Brainerd to 
Stoddard, have communed with Heaven. There is no room 
which has not been filled with the voice of supplication ; 
none which has not witnessed the consecration of some youth- 
ful heart to God. How many hundreds who had looked for 
nothing here but human knowledge, have drank at that 
deeper fountain which quenches the soul's thirst forever, — 
the well of water, springing up unto everlasting life ! How 
many earnest lives have had their germs in purposes formed 
on this hallowed spot ! Run your eye over the catalogue of 
the Church, and you will fall on many a name identified with 
the progress of science and religion. There, on one page of 
the old register, stands the record, in the hand-writing of 
Ezra Stiles : "James Murdock of the Sophomore Class, ad- 
mitted ;" and on the same leaf, in the hand-writing of Timo- 
thy Dwight, the record : " 1798, April 30th, Lyman Beecher 
of the Junior Bachelor Class, — ^baptized at the same time." 
Regarding our Church as one, from the beginning to the 
present, we might address it in the manner of Paul to the 
Thessalonians : " from you sounded out the word of the 
Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every 
place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad." E'ow, will 
you not deem it a privilege to be connected with such tradi- 
tions ? Is it not a blessing for which we ought to be thank- 
ful to God, that we are animated to duty by such examples ? 
Is not our hope of doing good, strengthened at the recollec- 
tion of what the Spirit of God has wrought here, in other 
days? N'o sooner does a student join the College than he 



43 

becomes an object for wbom petitions have been sent np to 
Heaven, for many generations. For the pious men before ns, 
have commended the institution to the care of God in future 
times, and have implored Him to bless with His grace all who 
should resort to it. 

But OUT responsibility is equal to our prwilege. It is in- 
cumbent on the older members of the Church to remember 
that they belong to a religious institution, and to improve the 
uncommon opportunities for serving Christ put within their 
reach. An instructor in this School of the Church is not a 
mere teacher of a given branch of science. He holds a pecu- 
liar relation to the kingdom of Christ, and if he be a sincere 
disciple of the Saviour, he will be interested in the spiritual 
good of his pupils, and will pray, in the social meeting and 
in the closet, for their salvation. What the Church in Col- 
lege is to be for the century to come, — what the College is 
to do for the. cause of vital Christianity in the country and 
through the world, — depends very much on the character of 
those who are now on the stage and concerned with its man- 
agement. The future, in a large degree, is in their hands, 
and w^ill take form according to the type of piety, the degree 
of fidelity, the warmth of zeal, which they shall manifest. 
When we stand before the bar of God, may it not be laid to 
our charge, that we have taken the high places of usefulness, 
but have been cold, inactive, servants of our Master ! " Unto 
whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required." 

The obligation resting on the younger class of Christians 
here, is hardly less serious. Let none complain of the temp- 
tations of College life, when so many in years gone by, have 
overcome them, and been shining examples of Christian ex- 
cellence. There have been many to adorn the profession of 
the Gospel, and many have been signally blessed in their ef- 
forts to bring their associates to God. Some have been long 
remembered here for the beauty of their personal character 
and their earnestness in urging the claims of religion on 
the attention of others. ISTot a few of these, having finished 



44 

their work on earth, have departed to their reward. " Where- 
fore, seeing we also are compassed abont with so great a 
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin 
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 
the race that is set before us !" 

And let me speak a faithful word to those who are not 
of the Church, but are living here without God. You 
enjoy the advantages of a public education in a Christian in- 
stitution. The call of God in the Gospel, week after week, is 
repeated in your hearing. In countless ways, He is direct- 
ing a constant appeal to your sense of obligation, and striv- 
ing to move you to forsake your sins and return to Him. To 
make your way through all these influences and to come out 
with a heart unreconciled to God, is a fearful thing. Beware 
lest this great neglect of duty end, at the judgment, in your, 
condemnation ! Do not, by hating the light or by virtually 
despising it, bring on yourselves a burden of guilt which you 
will not be able to bear ! But begin this day to seek the 
kingdom of God and His righteousness ! Hear the admoni- 
tion of His prophet ; — " Seek ye the Lord while He may be 
found, call ye upon Him while he is near !" 



APPENDIX. 



No. I. 

Trumbull says of Mr. Noyes : " though he had the gift of prayer, 
and was edifying in that part of worship, yet he was unanimating and 
unpopular in liis preaching. His zealous and Calvinistic hearers did 
not consider him as so faithfully and plainly preaching the doctrines 
of human depravity, of regeneration by the supernatural influences 
of the Divine Spirit, and of its absolute necessity that men might be 
saved, of effectual calling and justification by faith only, as a minister 
of the gospel ought by all means to do. They did not conceive 
him, as making proper distinctions between true and false religion, 
and preaching in such a manner as had a tendency to show to hypo- 
crites and secure sinners their danger and misery. From the man- 
ner of his preaching, especially on Sacramental occasions, suspicions 
arose that he did not hold the real divinity of the Saviour." (Trum- 
bull, Vol. II, p. 340.) Dr. Bacon says of Mr. Noyes's preaching that " it 
was dry in style, dull in delivery, and at best non-committal in respect 
to those ever litigated doctrines which are the grand objective motives 
of Christian piety." (Bacon's Historical Discourses, p. 229.)^ Dr. Ba- 
con adds, (p. 233 :) '* that he was an Arminian, never was proved and 
certainly cannot be disproved." It should be remembered that Dr. 
Trumbull would be inclined to regard as Arminians all who looked 
upon the Revival with distrust. And his Calvinism was of such a na- 
ture that (as he once said) he considered Baxter an Arminian. The 
charges of doctrinal unsoundness preferred against many of the New 

* "I have heard the story that President Clap once undertook to expos- 
tulate with Mr. Noyes for not preaching better. ' You do not know,' said Mr. 
Noyes, ' what an ignorant people I have to preach to.' * Yes, I do,' said the 
President, * and I know that as long as you preach to them in this way, they 
always will be ignorant.' " — Dr. Bacon's Historical Discourses, p. 240. 



46 

England clergy at that time by active promoters of the Revival, rested 
on suspicion and inference. It belongs to some future historian to 
inquire more strictly than has yet been done, into their justice. Says 
Dr. Stiles in his Rhode Island Sermon, (1760 :) "Many great and 
pious men are alarmed at a supposed prevalence of Arminian princi- 
ples through the churches of New England : and others suppose Cal- 
vinism greatly erroneous. Under these banners they respectively en- 
list, combat, conquer and are conquered. The pretext of tbese names 
serves to legitimate mutual aspersions which neither party deserve. 
To me it appears that these jealousies are founded almost entirely on 
mistake : nor am I aware of any very essential or general alteration 
of the public sentiment on what we all agree to be the fundamental 
principles of revelation. From some considerable acquaintance with 
the ministers of New England, I cannot perceive any very essential 
real difference in their opinions respecting the fundamental principles 
of religion. I may be mistaken — but their different manner and 
phraseology in explaining the same principles appears to me to be 
their chief difference." (p. 51.) Yet about thirty years afterwards, 
in 1788, Dr. Stiles writes in his birth-day reflections : '' New DiAdnity 
excesses on the one hand, and Socinian errors, on the other, chequer 
the state of the churches." His friend, Dr. Chauncey, lived to publish 
a book in favor of Universal Salvation ; and the next generation wit- 
nessed the full development of Unitarianism in Boston. "While the 
leading promoters of the great Revival were sometimes unjust in charg- 
ing particular individuals with holding, especially with consciously 
holding, important errors, they must be allowed, I think, to have sa- 
gaciously discerned the tendencies at work in the religious community. 
" Many of the leading clergy," says Mr. Tracy, " were accused of Ar- 
minianism. They indignantly denied the charge. The truth seems 
to have been that they were moderate Calvinists in their doctrinal dis- 
cussions, but Arminian in their practical applications," — in the actual 
impression made by their discourses.* 

* Tracy's History of the Great Awakening, p. 209. 



47 



No. II. 

The closing passage of Dr. Daggett's voluminous confession of faith, 
exhibits the principal subjects of dispute in those days, and is here 
printed, as an interesting monument of the times. 

*' I sincerely renounce all the Errors and Heresies which commonly go under the 
Name of Arianism, Socinianism, Arminianism, Pelagianism, Antinomianism and 
Enthusiasm. — Particularly, I renounce the Doctrines or Propositions following. — 
The happiness of the Creature is the only or ultimate End of the Creation. — The 
only, or ultimate End, a Creature can or ought to propose to himself, is his own 
Happiness. — All Kational Creatures shall finally be happy. — Sin deserves no 
Punishment, barely in Point of Justice. — All the End of Punishment is the 
Good of the Creature. — ^Adam was not created in a State of perfect Holiness, 
but only had a Power to act virtuously if he pleased. — God created Adam with 
Dispositions or Inclinations to Sin. — A Disposition or Inclination to Sin, is 
no Sin, if it be not gratified. — Every man is born into the World, in as 
perfect a State of Holiness and Kectitude, as Adam was created in. — Man's 
Duty or Obligation to Obey the Moral Law, is abated in Proportion to their 
Power. — ^Nothing can be a Man's Duty, which is not always in his Power. — 
Adam in a State of Innocency, was liable to Sickness, Wounds and Death. — 
The Miseries and Calamities of human Life, are no Argument of a Sinful 
Nature or State, but are brought upon Mankind, considered as innocent 
creatures, for the Tryal of their Virtue, and to lessen their Temptations. — 
Every Man has a Power to work all that change in himself that is necessary to 
Salvation.-— God cannot certainly foreknow the Actions of free Agents. — The 
Decrees of God destroy the free Agency of the Creature. — Christ is only an 
Angel or Arch-Angel, or Some glorious Creature. — He did not suffer the full 
and proper Punishment due to the Sins of Men. — The principal Design of 
Christ's coming into the World, was to teach and cultivate moral Virtue. — 
Christ's moral Virtue, together with our own, is the principal Ground of our 
Justification and Acceptance with God. — We enter into a justified and sancti- 
fied State by a visible Profession of Christianity. — The Heathen may be saved 
by Hving up to the Light of Nature, without any Knowledge of Christ. — 
Under the Gospel Dispensation, Men are not obliged to yield a Perfect 
Obedience to the moral Law, but only to act according to the power they 
now have. — The Elect are justified from Eternity. — Saving Faith consists only 
in Men's believing that they shall be saved by Christ. — We have Keason in 
these Days to expect immediate Eevelation of some Truths and Duties, beside 
or distinct from, the Revelation contained in the Scriptures. We may expect 
to obtain a full and perfect Knowledge of the good Estate of the Souls of others 
in this life. 

All these last-mentioned Doctrines or Positions, and all others, that have a 



48 



necessary Connexion with, or Dependence upon them, I Disbelieve, renounce 
and reject, as false, erroneous, and contrary to the Sacred Oracles ; hurtful to 
Religion, and dangerous to the Souls of Men. And I shall ever use all proper 
Measures to confute, and prevent the spreading of these, and all such like 
Errors ; as well as to promote, maintain, and propagate all those Doctrines and 
Truths I have now professed ; and that not only from the common Obligation 
lying on all Christians to believe and maintain the Truth ; but also from the 
special obligations I am under hereto, as Professor of Divinity in this College. 

Naphtali Daggett. 



No. III. 

The following copy of the Petition for the formation of the Church, 
is taken from the Church Records : 

To the Rev^d the President and Fellows of Yale College in New Haven : 

Whereas this Rev'd Corporation, of their paternal care and Goodness, have 
Settled a Professor of Divinity in this Ecclesiastical Society, whom we receive as 
an able and faithful Minister of the New Testament, we, the Subscribers, Mem- 
bers of this Society, having been admitted Members in full Communion in sun- 
dry Churches, and consenting to the Ecclesiastical Constitution of the Churches 
of this Colony, as agreeable to the "Word of God in Doctrine and Discipline, are 
desirous to attend upon the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper under the Adminis- 
tration of the Rev'd Professor and to walk together in stated Christian Com- 
munion and holy Subjection to all the Ordinances of Christ, and desire the 
Approbation and Sanction of this Rev'd Body. 



Richard "Woodhull. 
Seth Pomeroy. 
Nathan Williams. 
Grindall Rawson. 



John Devotion. 
Noah Williston. 
Jonathan Leavitt. 
Lemuel Barnard. 



BULKLEY OlCOTT. 

Roger Yiets. 
Benjamin Boardman. 
Richard C. Graham. 



No. IV. 

The address of President Clap to the Professor, sets forth, in a few- 
words, the grounds on which the authority to organize the Church was 
defended. The College is spoken of as an " Ecclesiastical Society," 
being constituted such by the charter which permitted its existence as 
a " Sacred School " for the promotion of learning and religion. The 
President and Fellows are a number of ministers " specially delegated 
to have the oversight and government " of the institution. Provided 
the approval of the Corporation is obtained, there is therefore nothing 



49 

to preclude members of College from uniting in a Church. And being 
a body of ministers, resembling a perpetual council, the Corporation 
can also give, on behalf of the churches, their sanction to the pro- 
ceeding. In this latter capacity, the Corporation may ordain to the 
work of the ministry, persons who are called to give religious instruc- 
tion in College, — as was done in the case of Presidents Day and 
AVoolsey. 

The addresses to Dr. Daggett and to the Communicants, were as 
follows : 

to the professor. 
Rev'd Sir : 

You having been formerly ordained a Minister of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
with Power to administer all the Ordinances of the Gospel, and having been 
since introduced into a special, sacred Office-Relation to this Ecclesiastical 
Society : — and there now appearing a sufficient Number of qualified Subjects, 
desirous to have the Sacred Ordinances administered to them in this Place ; 

"We, the President and Fellows of this College, being a Number of Ministers 
especially delegated to have the oversight and Government of this sacred School, 
do approve of your administering all the Ordinances of the Gospel, to the Mem- 
bers of this Society, who are Subjects qualified for them; depending upon it, 
that you will do it with the utmost care and Fidelity, according to the Institu- 
tion of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

TO THE COMMUNICANTS. 

Young Mex and Brethren : 

We are glad that you have heretofore made a public Profession of 
Religion, given up yourselves to God, and attended upon the sacred Ordinances 
of the Gospel; and that you are now desirous to attend upon these Ordinances 
in such a Manner, as may be most for your Edification, as Members of this 
religious Society. 

We approve of and ratify your Confederation for that end, and your acting as 
the Brethren of a particular Church, under the Administration of the Rev'd 
Professor of Divinity, and the Inspection of this venerable Corporation. 

"We depend upon it, that you continue steadfast in the Belief of the great 
Doctrines of the Gospel, according to your former Profession ; — and that you 
will be more and more fixed and resolute, by the grace of God, in the Practice 
of Holiness, and all the Duties of Religion. And we earnestly exhort you to 
attend upon all the sacred Institutions of the Gospel, in the Exercise of Faith, 
Repentance, Love, and all those Graces, which God requires, that so you may 
receive and enjoy the great Benefit and Advantages, which are exhibited by 
them. And as you make a distinguishing Profession of Religion beyond others, 
so let your Lives and Conversation be in a peculiar Manner holy and exemplary ; — 

4 



50 

your Light ought to shine with a peculiar Lustre in this Fountain of Light and 
Knowledge, that others, beholding your good Conversation, may glorify your 
Father which is in Heaven. 

And let all the Members of this Society of Religion and Learning, by having 
the Ordinances brought near to them, be put into a serious Frame of Mind, to 
search their own Hearts, and examine into the State of their Souls, and 
earnestly endeavor after those Qualifications, which are necessary to your enjoy- 
ing Communion with God, both in this World, and that which is to come. 



No. V. 

Trumbull says of the Soutli Middle College : "It was built of brick 
and made a very beautiful appearance. It was, at that time, the best 
building in the colony." (History of Connecticut, Vol. II, p. 312.) 

Perhaps the curiosity of some who read this Discourse will be ex- 
cited by the following passage from President Stiles's diary : 

"Aug, 20, 1783. Yesterday I was told a curious anecdote, — that the large, 
folio English Bible belonging to the College Hall and used by President Clap at 
morning and evening prayers, lay immured in the wall by the chapel [Athe- 
nseum] pulpit. That Mr. S — M — when an undergraduate here, about 1762 
or while the chapel [the Athenasum] was building, as one of his villainous 
tricks, did, one night when the masons had left their work, make a hole in the 
brick work of the wall and there put in the President's Bible, and covered it up 
so with brick and mortar, that the masons never perceived it, and went on with 
their work, and finished it. That it lies under the pulpit window." * * " And 
so the old Bible remains immured there to this day. It is now whispered as a 
secret, as he is ashamed of it. But I have it certain, — and yet doubt it." 



No. YI. 

Among the events which had given notoriety to the President's po- 
sition on this subject, was the expulsion from College of David Brainerd, 
and afterw^ards of the brothers, John and Ebenezer Cleaveland. I 
have been put in possession of documents which enable me to throw 
some additional light on these transactions.* 

* The case of Brainerd is narrated in Edwards's Life of Brainerd, — also in 
Bacon's Discourses, (p. 245 et seq.) To the judicious statements of Dr. Bacon 
on this unfortunate affair, there is little to be added. 

The case of the brothers Cleaveland is given in Trumbull, Yol. II, p. 79, et 
seq. In respect to them, my information is more full. 



51 

In May, 1742, a few montlis after the fanatical Davenport came to 
New Haven, and when the disorders occasioned by him were probably 
at the height, the General Assembly adopted the following Report of 
their committee appointed to consider the state of the College : 

May 1742. — The Coratee. appointed to take into consideration that paragraph 
of his Honour's speech (made to this assembly) relating to the unhapie circumstan- 
ces of the Colege, pursuant to the order of this assembly, have made Inquiery of 
the Revd. Rector of s'd Coledge and of others likelie to Inform us respecting 
the State thereof, and after deliberation, take leave to report to your Honour 
and to this Honorable Assembly, as followeth. 

That sundry of the Students of s'd Colege have, as the Revernd. Rector In- 
formeth us, by the Instigation, perswation and example of others, fallen into 
several errors in principal and disorders in practice, which may be verry hurt- 
full to Religion and some of them Inconsistant with the good order and gov- 
ernment of that Societie — Particularly — 

1. Some of the Students have fallen into the practice of Rash Judgeing and 
censuring others, even some of the Governours, Teachers and Instructors of the 
Colege, as being unconverted, unexperienced and unskillful guides, in matters 
of Religion, and have thereupon contemtuously refused to submit to their au- 
thoritie, and to attend upon and harken to theire Religious Exercises and Instruc- 
tions, but rather to attend upon the Instructions and directions of those to 
whom the care of Instructing sd. Students is not commited. 

2d. Some undergraduate Students have made it their practice by day and 
night, and sometimes for several days together to go about in the Town of 
Newhaven, as well as in other Towns, and before greate numbers of people, to 
teach and Exhort, much after the same manner that ministers of the Gospel do 
in theire publick preaching. 

3d. That much pains hath been taken to prejudice the minds of the Students 
against our Eclesiastical Constitution, and to perswade them to dissent and 
withdraw from the way of worship and ministry estabhshed by the Laws of this 
Government, and to attend on private and Seperate meetings, and that sundry 
of the Students have so don, in contempt of the Laws and authoritie of the 
Coledge. 

4th. That these things have occationed greate expence of precious time by 
disputs among the scholers, and neglect of theire Studies and Exercises at Col- 
ege, and have been a hinderance to the flourishing of Religion and vital Pietie 
in that Societie, and, if Tolerated, may defeate the good ends and designs of its 
Institution. 

Your Comtee. thereupon, are humbly of opinion, that it is of greate Impor- 
tance, both to our civil and Eclesiastical State, that the true principals of Re- 
ligion and good order be maintained in that Seminary of Learning. 

And that it be Recommended to the Revd. Rector, Trustees and others con- 
cerned in the Government and Instruction of the Colege, to be very carefull to 



52 

Instruct the Students in the true principals of Religion, according to our con- 
fession of faith and Eclesiastical Constitution ; and to keep them from all such 
errors as they may be in danger of Imbibeing from Strangers and foraigners, 
and to use all such proper measures as are in theire power, to prevent their be- 
ing under the Influence and Instruction of such as would prejudice theire minds 
against the way of worship and ministry Established by the Laws of this Gov- 
ernment, and that order and authority be duly maintained in that Society : and 
that those should not Injoy the privileges of it who contumatiously refuse to 
Submit to the Laws, Orders and Rules thereof, which have been made or shall 
be made according to the powers and Instructions given in theire Charter, but 
we think it highly reasonable that all proper meanes be first used with such 
Scholers, that they may be reclaimed and redused to order, before they be dis- 
missed the Colege as Incorageable. 

There is every reason to credit the statements concerning the con- 
dition of the College made in the foregoing document. It is true that 
there had been a real religious awakening, (and this fact the Act of 
the General Assembly fails to notice ;) but it is equally true that the 
irregularities mentioned had come with it. The expulsion of Brain- 
erd occurred shortly before the jDassage of this Act. He was then a 
member and the foremost scholar of the Junior class. Though a truly 
devout young man, he had, in common with others, become infected 
with " an intemperate and imprudent zeal and a degree of enthusiasm" 
which (I use the language of Edwards) " crept in and mingled itself 
with the Revival of religion." None perceived this afterwards more 
clearly than hiraself. He confessed it with sorrow ; and when he lay 
on his death-bed, he ordered the diary he had kept during this period 
to be burnt, alluding, as a reason, to " the imprudences and indecent 
heats" to which he had then been subject. Brainerd went to the sep- 
arate meeting in town, contrary to the express command of the Rec- 
tor ; and on one occasion, after Tutor Whittelsey " had been unusu- 
ally pathetic in his prayer," he tarried with two or three of his friends 
in the College Hall ; and in reply to one of them who asked his opin- 
ion of Mr. Whittelsey, he said : " He has no more grace than this 
chair." The expression was overheard and came at length to the ear 
of the Rector, who obliged the friends with whom Brainerd was con- 
versing, to testify ^'■what he had said and of whom he had said it." He 
was also accused, by one person, of making an insulting remark con- 
cerning the Rector's course in fining the students " who followed Mr. 
Tennent to Milford." Such a remark, however, he could not reraem- 



53 

ber to have made. On these grounds, he was expelled from College. 
At the commencement in 1743, he presented a confession, (the same 
confession, in substance, be had offered, as he states, once before,) 
avowing that he had done great injustice to Mr. Whittelsey, and ex- 
pressing his penitence for all the off"enses of which he stood accused. 
" The governors of College were so far satisfied with the reflections 
which Brainerd had made on himself, that they appeared willing to 
admit him again into College, but not to give him his degree till he 
should have remained there at least twelve months." It should be ob- 
served that the controversy on the aff'air had become a public one, 
and that Brainerd, although he freely and nobly acknowledged his of- 
fense, did not conceal his opinion that the governors of College had 
done him a hundred-fold greater wrong than he had done them.* He 
always felt that the means taken to convict him, by compelling his 
friends to disclose a private conversation, were unjustifiable. There 
are none at the present day, who do not admire the loveliness of 
Brainerd's character, after the " gust of inconsiderate zeal and a spirit 
of censoriousness caught by his quick sympathy witii others," had 
passed away. On the other hand, the Rector and Tutors (to borrow 
Dr. Bacon's accurate description of their motives) " were very natu- 
rally dissatisfied with that sort of piety, which was inconsistent not only 
with what they esteemed decorum, but with the order of College, and 
with a due attention to the daily duty of study. They were alarmed 
at the growing propensity among the students to violate not only the 
rules of College, but the law of the land, by running away from the 
appointed place of worship to the separate meeting. They probably 
had an eye on Brainerd as one who would be likely by his religious 
zeal to come into conflict with their authority. And very likely they 
were quite willing to be rid of him, and to inflict a signal blow upon 
the intemperate spirit of the times, by dealing sternly with him for 
that calumnious censure of his superior." 

The expulsion of John and Ebenezer Cleaveland occurred about 
three years after that of Brainerd. In the town of Canterbury, Conn., 
where the Cleavelands lived, the Ecclesiastical Society or Parish had 

* This feeling is implied in the remarks in his Diary, at the end of his con- 
fession, as there recorded. See Edwards, (Dwight's Ed.,) Yol. X, p. 107. Do 
these remarks form a part of the confession as presented to the Rector ? If so- 
they were not adapted to conciliate him. 



54 

called the Rev. Mr. Cogswell, a licensed candidate, to be their min- 
ister. A majority of the church had been opposed to the measure, 
and being dissatisfied with Mr. Cogswell, had withdrawn and estab- 
lished a separate meeting, in a private house. For the reason, as was 
alleged, that they were unable at once to obtain a licensed or ordained 
preacher, their meetings were conducted by a layman named Solomon 
Paine. These meetings were attended, during a part of their College 
vacation, by the brothers Cleaveland who, together with their parents, 
were members of the church. On their return to New Haven, at the 
beginning of the term, they were called to account by the faculty. 
They were required, on the penalty of expulsion, to confess publicly, 
in the Hall, that they had violated the laws of God, of the Colony, and 
of the College. As they declined to do this, the threatened sentence 
was carried out. Their conversations with the Rector and Tutor 
Whittelsey, at various interviews prior to the expulsion, were faithfully 
written down by the elder of the two brothers. A copy of the Record 
has been kindly furnished me by his grandson, the Rev. Dr. Cleave- 
land, of this city. A single passage is selected to illustrate the style of 
these colloquies. It is preceded by the petition which was presented 
by John Cleaveland, after several ineffectual discussions had been held 
with the faculty. 

" To the Re\^. and Hon''. Rector and Tutors of Yale College in Ncav Haven. 
iRev^. & Hond. 

"It hath been a very great concern and trouble to me, that my conduct in 
the late vacancy [vacation] has been such as not to maintain interest in your 
favor, and still retain the great privileges that I have enjoyed for three years 
past under your learned, wise, and faithful instruction and government. Nothing 
•of an outward nature can equally affect me with that of being henceforward 
wholly secluded from the same. 

" Hon«^. Fathers, suffer me to lie at your feet, and intreat your compassionate 
forgiveness to an offending child wherein I have transgressed. 

Venerable Sirs : I entreat you, for your paternal wisdom and clemency, to 
make in my case such kind allowance for the want of that penetration and solid 
judgment expected in riper heads — as tender parents are naturally disposed in 
respect of their weak children. But more especially I beg to be admitted in 
the humblest manner to suggest as a motive of your compassion to the ig- 
norant, — that I did not know it was a transgression of either the Laws of God, 
this Colony, or the College, for me, as a member, and in covenant with a par- 
ticular church, as is generally owned to be a church of Jesus Christ, to meet 
together Avith a major part of said church for social worship. And therefore 
<do beg and intreat that my ignorance may be suffered to apologize. For in 



55 

respect to that fact, which to riper heads may appear to be a real transgression, 
I can assure you, Ven''^^ Sirs, that I have endeavored to keep and observe all 
the known laws and customs of College unblamably. And I hope I shall for 
the future be enabled so to do, if I may be restored to a standing again in my 
class. Thus begging your compassion, I subscribe, your humble servant and 
obedient pupil, 
New Haven, Nov. 26, 1744. John Cleaveland. 

The Rector and Tutors regarded the above confession as good for nothing, 
because it cast no censure on the separatist meetings, or on the person, who 
possessing neither an academic degree, nor a ministerial license, yet presumed 
to conduct them. The young men were told that they would be disciplined 
still farther. 

John. Sirs — I should be glad to know what the Scriptures say, as to the call 
of a person to preach. 

Hector. The Scripture saith, " How can they preach, except they be sent ?" 
and "no man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was 
Aaron." i 

John. Has that text in Hebrews a reference to ministers being called in 
gospel times ? [His reason for putting the question, was his apprehension that 
the Apostle's design was to set forth that all the High Priests before Christ were 
types of him, hence arguing, that if the types were called of God, so eminently 
must the antetype be thus called. And this he thought evident from the verse 
following. " So also Christ glorified," &c.] 

Rector. Yes, — to be sure. 

John. If the call of Aaron is a rule for us to try others by, whether they 
are called of God, I suppose it be necessary to know in what manner Aaron was 
called of God : — but of this I am ignorant. 

Rector. He was called by Moses. But it is not necessary that ministers un- 
der the gospel should be called in the same method that Aaron was. As Aaron 
was called of God, so must all gospel ministers ; and there are rules in the 
Gospel how they shall be introduced. 

John. Is there any other rule of introducing a minister, but by the laying 
on of hands of the Presbytery ? 

Rector. No. 

John. Then he that preaches before he is ordained, or hath had the laying 
on of hands of the Presbytery, is a bold intruder into the ministerial function. 
[The Rector had said that such as preached without a license were so.] 

Rector. The Church of England do make this an objection against the Pres- 
byterians ; but it is supposed by our divines, that such as have power to ordain, 
have authority to license before ordination. 

John. If the matter is brought to the opinion of divines, we suppose we can 
instance some likewise. We have been credibly informed that in some parts of 
the province of the Massachusetts, the candidates are very seldom examined 
and licensed before they have a call to settle. 



56 

Rector. I believe you'll rarely find an instance, [or to that effect,] 

John. I can instance some, and one in Connecticut ; a man of liberal edu- 
cation. — But the Rector put an end to the talk. 

Rector. All that so do, are bold intruders, who do that which they have no 
business with. And therefore, since you went to such a meeting to hear a lay- 
exhorter, which was entirely wrong, — in case you do not make a full recanta- 
tion, we shall proceed to expel, [or to that effect.] 

Tutor. Have you anything more to offer? 

Ehenezer. I have something to offer. When I was at home, I was under 
the care of my parents, and they told me, if I did not meet where they met, I 
could not expect they would maintain me at College ; and the meeting not appear- 
ing contrary to the word of God, I thought it my duty to obey my parents in 
this thing. 

Rector. If you went in obedience to your parents, this extenuates the crime, 
for it's a good thing to reverence your parents. However, we are not to make 
their judgment a rule of our proceeding ; but shall proceed according to what 
appears right to us notwithstanding. 

John. Sir, I find it to be a matter of impossibility to serve two masters, and 
am brought into a perfect dilemma ; for if we don't make a full recantation, we 
must be expelled College, and if we do make such an one, it will be so grievous 
and contrary to the mind of our parents, they will not support us at College. 
So that, whether we confess, or do not confess, we are under a necessity of 
leaving College. 

Rector. As you say — it is a very difficult thing to serve two masters, when 
they dictate contrarily, and therefore you must choose which of the two you 
will obey for the future. 

John. Sir, if you will overlook this, we will for the future endeavor to per- 
suade our parents to let us go to such meetings as are not contrary to the mind 
of the authorities of the College. 

Rector. I don't know but I may, if you will openly acknowledge your fault 
in the Hall. 

John and Ehenezer. We don't see it to be our duty to make an acknowl- 
edgment. 

And so we were dismissed for this time. Some time after this, John, of his 
own accord, went to the Rector, and the following conversation ensued. 

Rector. Well— what? 

John. Sir, you have granted to us some time to consider which of the two 
masters we shall choose to serve in this concern. We have thought of the mat- 
ter, and do think it was our duty in that case to obey our parents, and therefore 
can't go from the same. And having an opportunity for one of us to go 
home, I have come to know if one of us, at least, may have the liberty, as 
well before, as after we are expelled ? 

Rector. What do you mean by going home ? I don't understand you, &c., 
&c. 



57 

The views of the College government are fully presented in the 
Admonition which preceded the Act of expulsion : 

Yale College, Nov. 19, 1744. 

Present, the Rector and Tutors. 

Upon information that John and Ebenezer Cleavela*id, members of this 
College, withdrew from the public worship of God in the meeting-house in 
Canterbury, carried on by Mr. Cogswell, a licensed and approved candidate 
for the ministry, preaching there at the desire of the first Parish or Society in 
Canterbury, wdth the special direction of the Association of the County of 
Windham ; — and that they, the said Cleavelands, with sundry others belonging 
to Canterbury and Plainfield, did go to, and attend upon a private, separate 
meeting, in a private house, for divine worship, carried on principally by one 
Solomon Paine, a lay-exhorter, on several Sabbaths in September or October 
last : 

The said Cleavelands being several times sent for, acknowledged the facts as 
above stated and justified what they had done, and gave in the reasons given in 
writing by the said Separatists for their separation aforesaid ; — the most material 
of which are these, viz : that the first society in Canterbury keep up only the 
Form of Godliness, and deny the life, power and spirituality of it, and had 
given Mr. Cogswell a call in order for settlement, whom they, the said Separa- 
tists, had declared to be destitute of those essential qualifications, that ought 
to be in a minister of Jesus Christ, and therefore can't join with the Society in 
that choice, but look upon it their indispensable duty to choose one after God's 
own heart; one that will be able to comfort the wounded with the same 
comfort, wherewith he himself is comforted of God, and not a blind guide, for 
then will the blind lead the blind into the ditch of God's eternal wrath ; and 
many of the said society speak evil of those things which they the said Sepa- 
ratists, receive and hold to be the effects of the Holy Ghost ; — whereupon 
they look upon it a loud call to them to come out from among them, etc. ; and 
do appoint the house of Samuel Wadsworth to be a place to meet in by them- 
selves, to serve the Lord in spirit and in truth. 

And the said Cleavelands say that this being the act of the major part of the 
members in full communion within the said society, is a sufficient warrant for 

them to join with them. They also say that the said Solomon Paine has 

suflBcient knowledge and ability to expound the Scripture, and to preach the 
gospel, and therefore has a right to do it, and therefore they say that in 
withdrawing from the public worship and attending upon the preaching of the 
said Solomon Paine, they have not acted contrary to any divine or humane 
laws. 

Whereupon it is considered by the Rector and Tutors, 

1st, That we, depending in this matter upon the unanimous judgment of the 
association in the County of Windham, do judge that the said Mr. Cogswell is 
sufficiently qualified to be a minister of the gospel and therefore the reflections 
cast upon him, as aforesaid, are groundless. 



58 



2d. That if there were any reasons why the said Separatists should not choose 
to receive Mr. Cogswell as their minister, or if it should be doubtful whether it 
is convenient that Mr. Cogswell should be ordained, where so great a number 
are against him, (which things properly belong to the hearing and judgment of 
a Council,) yet we can't see that this could be any justification of their setting 
up a separation in the mean time. 

3d. That neither the major part of the members in full communion, nor 
any other person in any parish or society, have any right or warrant to appoint 
any house or place for worship on the Sabbath, distinct and separate from, and 
in opposition to the meeting house, the public place appointed by the General 
Assembly and the Parish, but on the contrary all such places and separate 
meetings are prohibited by the ancient law of this Government. 

4th. The principal reasons assigned for this separation manifestly import 
that spirit of uncharitable censuring and rash judging of men's hearts and 
spiritual state, which has so much of late prevailed in the country, and which 
is plainly prohibited in the word of God. 

6th. That there is scarce anything more fully and strictly enjoined in the 
Gospel, than charity, peace and unity among Christians, and scarce anything 
more plainly and frequently forbidden than divisions, schisms and separations, 
and therefore nothing can justify a division or separation, but only some plain 
and express direction in the word of God, which must be undei-stood as a 
particular exception from the general rule, and it appears to us that there is no 
direction or warrant in the word of God, to set up a separation upon the reasons 
there assigned. 

6th. That if it could be supposed that they had a warrant to separate from the 
Meeting House, Preacher and Congregation, where they belonged, and attend 
upon some lawful minister in another place, — yet this could not justify them 
in attending upon the ministry or preaching of a lay Exhorter, who has no 
right, license or authority to preach, and particularly of one who is a common 
promoter of separation, and disturber of the Christian peace, not only in 
Canterbury, but also in Windham, Mansfield and other places. 

Tth. That this practice of setting up lay Exhorters, which has of late pre- 
vailed in the country, is without any Scripture warrant, and is subversive of 
the Standing order of a Learned Gospel Ministry, and naturally tends to 
introduce spiritual pride, enthusiasm, and all manner of disorders into the 
Christian Church. 

Whereupon it is considered and adjudged by the Rector and Tutors, that the 
said John and Ebenezer Cleaveland, in withdrawing and separating from the 
pubUc worship of God, and attending upon the preaching of a lay exhorter as 
aforesaid, have acted contrary to the rules of the Gospel, the laws of this 
Colony, and of the College, and that the said Cleavelands shall be publicly 
admonished for their faults aforesaid, and if they shall continue to justify 
themselves, and refuse to make an acknowledgement, they shall be expelled. 
A True Copy, Examined by Mr. Clap, Rector. 



59 



In 1745 the two Cleavelauds sent a petition to the General 
Assembly, praying that they might be restored to their privileges in 
College ; but their petition was dismissed without any action upon it 
in either house.* 

The Diary of John Cleaveland, kept from Jan. 15, 1742, to May 11, 
1742, gives us an insight into the character of that group of pious 
young men among whom Brainerd was conspicuous. The following 
are abbreviated selections from this Journal : 

In his first entry he says , — " This night after prayers in the Hall, Jonesf 
prayed very affectionately in Hall's room. After I came home, Williams;}: 
and I sang a hymn. Then five more came in, and we sang another hymn. 
After they went, Williams and I had a confidential discourse on religion. 
When he was gone, we prayed. I led, but was exceedingly blind in spiritual 
things." 

Jan. lUh. He mentions that Mr. Clap expounded on Christ as a Mediator 
between God and man, and as both God and man. He heard Strong say that 
Mr. Stoddard of Woodbury is come out very bright in the work of the Lord, 
and, as he used to say it was the work of the Devil, now he says the Devil is in 
those who oppose the work. " Mr. Clap prayed this night better than I have 
heard him, since I have been in New Haven." 

Jan. 11th, Sabbath. " Heard Mr. Noice [Noyes] all day," — gives the texts. 
"It was so cold that many students left before the sermon was over." There 
seems to have been a private meeting for religious services in the evening. 

Jan. I8th. "Lord,§ primus, was called before the Seniors for carrying 
himself unbecomingly." J. C. spent the evening with Ely|| and the Lymans,^ 
and discussed with them the question of removing out of the College, if they 
could see the way clear, and could have some ministers on their side. He 
afterwards talked with Mr. Mix on the same subject, that is, getting out of 
Commons." 

Jan. I9th. Has had a great many errands put upon him, and a very bad day 



* For an account of this petition, see President Woolsey's Historical Dis- 
course, p. 108. " They make the whole question turn upon the respective 
rights of the church and congregation in choosing a minister ; that being the 
point on which a majority of the chvirch had separated from a majority of the 
congregation in this instance." 

f Isaac Jones, grad. 1742, d. 1784. 

X Warham Williams, grad. 1745, d. 1788. 

§ John H. Lord, grad. 1745, d. 1796. 

I Simon Ely, grad. 1745. 

*^ Daniel Lyman, grad. 1745, d. 1788. Elihu Lyman, grad. 1745, d. 1758. 



60 



to do them in. Darling sent him to Widow Allin's ; — on his way back, Fisk,* 
primus^ met him and sent him off to Tod's for a horse ; when he got back 
with the horse, he sent him to Capt. Munson's for something else ; and at 
night after prayers he had to go to Seykes' to get a pair of shoes for Dor.f 

Jan. 20th. Mr. Clap preached in the Hall on 2 Peter 1. 10 ; — the doctrine, — "it 
is our great and indispensable duty to make our calling and election sure." I 
think he preached the best that ever I heard. He seemed to preach 
experience. 

Jan. 21st. " Mr. Case was persecuted by the people of Milford. He was put 
in prison." J. C. states that there was to be a " corte " in regard to the 
matter, and that he and others of his class applied to Mr. Whittelsey for 
permission to attend it. The answer is not given. The " corte " however was 
deemed so important that the meeting in the College was omitted. That 
night Williams [Warham Williams, aft. Tut. et Soc] and Field, [Sam*] 
supped with J. C. After supper they sang some of Dr. Watts's hymns. 

Jan. 22nd. Observed as a day of prayer by some of the scholars, especially 
the Seniors. Mr. Humphrey preached at night in the Hall. J. C. complains of 
spiritual dullness. 

Jan. 2Sd. Mr. Clap expounded in the Hall on the free will of man. A 
religious meeting in the evening in Hawley's room. [Joseph Hawley, grad. 
1742.] J. C. hears good news from Norwalk and from Weathersfield 
in regard to the revival of religious feeling, and wishes he might have such 
news every day. 

Jan. 2Uh, Sabbath. Mr. Noyes and Mr. Whittelsey preach. " At night Mr. Clap 
prayed above an hour, as I judge ; and I was as stupid as stupidity itself, all the 
while he prayed." After that there was a prayer-meeting, in which the 
students prayed in class order. " This day I heard of Mr. Graham [John 
Graham of Southbury,] Mr. Bellamy [Joseph, D. D.,] and Mr. Mills, coming to 
New Haven to preach. 

Jan. 25th. He and Draper [Nathl.,] who was one of his room-mates, have a 
scuffle, — a good natured one, it seems ; — yet he condemns himself for it. 
Draper and he have a serious talk afterwards. He hears that Mr. Robbins 
preached a fast at the Waterside, and that he may preach next day. 

Jan. 2Q)th. " Much disturbance in this town." In the evening. Sir Wood- 
bridge, [probably Timo. Woodbridge, grad. 1732, Tut. 1737-1739,] preached in 
the Hall. He mentions a warm dispute on religious topics, which occurred the 
same evening. He seems to have been living with a Mr. Mix, who spoke lightly 
of Brainerd and others of that sort, and talked of the work in the land as the 
work of the Devil. He adds that he was very plain with Landlord Mix. 

Jan. 21th. "This day has been a grumbhng day among us. There has been 
preaching nearly all day at Mr. Cook's, about twenty rods from the College. 

* Samuel Fisk, gr. 1743, d. 1749. f Edward Dorr, gr. 1742, d. 1772. 



61 

Mr. Mills preached two or three sermons. Mr. Clap would not let us go to hear 
them." " Some of the Seniors and some of the Juniors went notwithstanding." 
J. C, adds : "I was almost resolved to go, let what would fall ; but I had not 
the courage to do it." After prayers that night Lyman, Williams and J. C. 
went to visit Russell [Wm. Russell, aft. Tut. and clerg. d. 1774] and Sturgeon 
[Wm. S., aft. clerg.,] and spent the night with them. 

Jan. ^%th. In the evening he heard Mr. Whittelsey preach ; thinks he is a 
very good orator, but, as a preacher, does not like him much. After the meet- 
ing, he went to Fowler's room, [Jos. Fowler, grad. 1743, d. 1771,] where they 
and Tracy [Samuel] sat till twelve o'clock, discoursing on religion and in 
prayer. 

Jan. I^th. He complains of stupidity and bewilderment in religious things. 
Moves into College, — drinks tea with some of his classmates, settles with his 
late room-mates, Betts [Thaddeus'B.,] and Draper, [Nathaniel.] " This day," he 
says, "the separate party were set off by the Court ; — have liberty to meet by 
themselves, and have appointed their meeting at Mr. Lieut. Mix's." 

Jan. ZOth. Exceedingly dull in his feelings all day. He is put into commons. 

Jan. 31, Sabbath. Mr. Noyes preaches in the morning from Matt, xxv: 46. 
In J. C's. opinion, he did not stick very closely to his text. In the aft. Mr. 
Whittelsey preached on the spiritual death that possesseth the hearts of all men. 
After evening prayers, he and Clarke [Jos. Clarke, grad. 1745] went to Lieut, 
Mix's, and heard Mr. S. " He preached exceedingly well." 

JF'eb. 1. Begins with fervent and pious aspirations. He then states that Mr. 
Clap has thatMay given them a lecture on the subject of the ' New Lights,' as 
they were reproachingly called. " I think he said they had taken oath against 
the reUgion of the country, — that the colony would not bring up scholars to 
swear against the religion of the Colony. He said that our religion is the true 
religion of Jesus Christ, and we should find it so, if Ave would compare it with 
the word of God." 

Feb. 2. Complains of dullness. Sings hymns with Leavitt and Williams. 

Feb. 3. Talked with Strong, primus [prob. David Strong,] and with Rossiter, 
[prob. Asher Rossiter, grad. 1742,] on rehgious themes. He writes to his father, 
and "lays open his case." 

Feb. 4. He hoped to hear Mr. Robbins preach. But Mr. R. failed to come. 
Mr. Noyes preached. 

Feb. 5. " This day, being Friday, Mr, Clap fined Holey five shillings for speak- 
ing the truth in the Hall ; and the truth was, that he staid at home, because of 
the coldness of the air and of the preacher." 

[This Holey, who had to pay, and probably paid cheerfully for his saucy ex- 
cuse, was the Joseph Hawley, already named. He died in 1788.] 

" This night," adds the Journalist, " I Avas called before the gentlemen Soph- 
omores, for scandalously reproaching of them, and was very smartly reproved 
by them. But they got nothing by it, neither did I." 

Feb. 6. Mr. Clap expounds on Justification. A prayer meeting is held by 



62 

Seniors in Hawley's room. Woolsey sends J. C. on an errand. Lyman, secundtis^ 
[Daniel] has a kind of battle with Felps, [Alexander Phelps, afterwards Tutor.] 

Feb. 7. Sabbath. Mr. Noyes preaches and administers the Sacrament. J. C. 
very cold in spirit in time of worship. Mr. Clap in the afternoon. A meeting in 
the evening, at which Cook and Russell prayed. They agree to have a meeting 
every night. 

Feb. 8. Stormy day. First nightly class meeting for prayer. Spends the 
evening at Bradley's, talking with Strong on religion. 

Feb. 9. This morning a Moravian followed the Rector into the Hall, and, when 
prayer was over, asked leave to preach. This was refused. He began however 
to speak, but the students did not stay to hear him. At evening the same Mo- 
ravian came into the students' meeting. One of the Seniors asked him to pray. 
After prayer, he read a verse in Titus and began to preach from it. While this 
was proceeding, Mr. Whittelsey sent a message to disperse them. The Mora- 
vian stopped, blessed his audience, and as he went out of College, shook the 
dirt from his feet. 

Feb. 10. Whittelsey of Wallingford preaches, but does not end so well as he 
begun. — A council held in the Library respecting Mr. Pierpont. Mr. Noyes and 
Mr. Pierpont dispute. 

Feb. 11. The council in the Library breaks up : Mr. Robbins is turned out of 
their meeting; the case comes out against Mr. Pierpont and his brethren. 

Mr. Robbins preached in the afternoon (at the separatist meeting, of course.) 
J. C. does not hear him. *' At night," however, he says, he "broke out and went 
and heard him preach on Gen. 19 : lY, and he spake as a man sent from God to 
w^arn me of my sin and danger," &c. [This Mr. Robbins was, probably, the 
minister of Branford, with whom J. C. studied divinity after his expulsion from 
College.] 

Feb. 12. The Seniors declaimed. " This day we were taken up into the large 
garret to be tormented by the Sophomores, and three of my class were fined for 
unmanners." 

Complains of coldness in his heart. 

Feb. 13. Mr. Clap expounds on Church discipline. J. C. talks with Mr. Win- 
chell. 

Feb. 14. Mr. Whittelsey of Milford preaches in Mr. Noyes's place, 

Feb. 15. Writes a letter to Mr. Mills, and one to Zera Lothrup. 

Feb. 16. Writes to his parents. Spends the evening with Williams, tertius, 
[Warham Williams,] in Mr. Whittelsey's room. He deplores his own religious 
declension. 

Feb. 17. Mr. Clap preaches in the evening. J. C. knows not what to do with 
himself, — so heedless is he. 

Feb. 18. He talks with Lockwood, [Samuel, afterwards Socius and D. D.] 
He gets a letter from Canterbury, written by Sir Lewis, informing him of the 
conversion of his brothers and sisters. [This Lewis, who is mentioned several 
times in the Journal, was probably Thos. Lewis, of the class of 1741. Sir was 



63 

the academical title of resident graduates. Lewis was teaching school in Can- 
terbury, but still had his name on the College books and catalogue.] 

Feb. 19. Juniors begin to dieclaira the second time. J. C. gets a letter from 
home. He talks with Learning about his deadnegs. [Jer. Learning, clergyman, 
grad. 1745, d. 1804.] J. C. attends on the buttery. 

Feb. 20. As having care of the buttery, it was his duty to ring the morning 
bell. But he did not wake in season, and the Eector called him " Sleepy-Head.'''' 
" This morning Rector Clap expounds on Adoption, Justification and Sanctifica- 
tion." 

In the afternoon J. C. is with Brainerd, priinus, [David Brainerd,] and hears 
heavenly news from Canterbury of his brother and sister. At a later hour he 
has a serious talk Avith Lockwood, [Samuel, aft. clergyman, Socius, D. D.] 

Feb. 21. Mr. Noyes preached better than usual. Mr. Whittelsey in the after- 
noon : preached very well, the best sermon which J. C. had heard from him. 

Feb. 22. More stupid than ever. In the afternoon J. C. and Ely [Simon Ely] 
took a circuit round by Bradley's and so to Jones's, hoping to hear Mr. Um- 
phreys, [Daniel Humphreys, grad. 1732, d. 1787.] They were disappointed. 
Mr. Humphreys was sick. So Brainerd, primus, prayed. After the College pray- 
ers, J. C. and Lockwood and Brainerd, 2d, had religious exercises. 

Feb. 23. J. C. has some pleasant discourse with Mr. Kimberly, "who seems to 
be a sweet child of God." At the meeting Brainerd prayed. Then Brainerd, 
Ely, Lyman, 2d, and J. C. went to Lockwood's room, where they sung a hymn. 
Being about to engage in prayer, Whinchell spoke in opposition to it, and said 
he could not allow it. Much was said, but in vain, to convince him of his er- 
ror. Brainerd, " a sweet child of God, I trust," as he took leave, spoke in an 
exhorting manner, and drew some tears from his eyes. He seemed affected by 
the discourse. [There is some obscurity in the narrative here. I think it must 
have been ' Whinchell ' who was addressed, and who wept. There is no Whin- 
chell nor Winchell in the catalogue of the College during the first century.] 

Feb. 24. He is absent from prayers and recitation in consequence of bodily 
pain. This afternoon the Seniors held a fast, in which some of the Juniors and 
Freshmen join. He gets a letter from his father, sister and brother. He learns 
that his father's house is like a little Bethel. J. C. lays his case before his class- 
mates, the Lymans, Cogswell, [prob. Jas. Cogswell, then a Senior, afterward 
D. D., d. 1807,] and Troop, [prob. Wm. Throop, Junior, afterwards clergyman, 
d. 1756,] came to College this day. 

Feb. 25. He thinks much about the family at home. He spends the afternoon 
with Lockwood and his room-mates. At night he attends the meeting. After- 
wards he read his letters to Russell, Williams, and other classmates. [Russell 
was afterwards Tutor, etc.] 

Feb. 26. He hears that a comet has been seen in the South. He renews his 
complaint of himself. 

Feb. 27. He walks with Leavitt [Freegrace Leavitt, clerg. grad. 1745,] to 
Johnson's. They talk of their own stupidity, and enlarge upon the times, upon 



64 

dreams, etc. He gets into a talk about going to hear Mr. Bellamy preach, and 
probably became excited. 

Feb. 28. Mr. Bellamy preaches at the Separate meeting. J. C. talks of going 
in the morning, but, for some reason, did not go to hear him. In the afternoon, 
however, he heard Mr. Bellamy. He says there were some "in conviction," and 
that he was something concerned about himself: 

March 1. " This day hath passed over with much commotion." "Went in the 
morning and heard Bellamy at the Separate meeting. He preaches from Paul's 
words, "I glory in nothing," &c., "excellent well." In the afternoon from 
" Strive to enter," &c. " Many Christians were stirred up and enlivened. At a 
meeting held after College prayers, Throop was filled very full by the Spirit of 
God. We were called down by some of the Seniors, and it was the sweetest 
meeting we have had since we came to College. Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Pierpont 
came to visit us in College. We signed a letter to send to Mr. Tennent." 

March 2. Settled with Mix, and paid him £9, 12s. This night went to Mr. 
Pierpont's, and there were a number of the children of God, as I trust. Brain- 
erd, 1st, repeated a sermon. 

March 3. This day Mr. Stiles [prob. Abel Stiles, gr. 1Y33, Tutor, 1736] 
preached, but I did not like him. After the meeting, Russell, Leavitt, and J. C. 
went to see some " distrest souls." 

March 1. Mr. Noyes preaches and administers the sacrament. In the afternoon 
he preached from Titus, "not by works," &c., and "he made a miserable 
hand of it." J. C Avas absent from the stated meeting this evening. Spencer, 
Brainerd and Brown carried on the meeting. J. C. in his closet read Jos. 
AUyn's works. 

March 9. J. C, Williams, 3d, and Leavitt visit Brainerd and his brethren 
and are " very handsomely treated by them." 

March 11. Quarter day. Lockwood and he talk, pray, and spend the night 
together. 

March 12. " This day I was fined one penny for being tardy. This day the 
venerable Rector came off his journey." He laments his " deadness" and sighs 
for a better state. 

March 14. Sabbath. After prayers, Williams, 2d [Eliphalet WiUiams, S. T. D. 
Soc, d., 1803] went home with the Reverend Rector to get leave to go to the 
meeting; but he would not suffer him ; but said, if he was conscience-bound, 
he might go home for a little time, while the times grew better." Mr. Wood- 
bridge preached to-day. 

March 15. "I have had some discourse with a certain young woman about 
religion." This day has been exceeding cold. 

March 16. Another cold morning. He hears that Mr. Clap is about getting 
a minister to preach in the Hall. He hears also that Mr. Cheney, of Waterbury, 
has drowned himself. 

March 17. Sir Woodbridge preaches a lecture in the meetinghouse. A good 
discourse. 

March 18. " This morning I had a very beautiful meeting. I dreampt that 



e5 

I was brought to behold my parents, my brothers and sisters, rejoicing in the 
Lord ; and some of my relations rejoicing with them." " This day I have been 
very rude, considering my circumstances. My case, I fear, is very bad." 
[This may refer to the consequences of his rudeness, or it may be only one of 
his customary confessions.] He is informed that Rector Clap has forgiven 
Throop's attendance at the Separate meeting. 

March 19. Mr. Burr preached. Lloyd seems to be somewhat affected. [This 
was NatW Lloyd.] 

March 20. Mr. Burr preached again " exceedingly well." J. C. is still dull. 
Mr. Parsons preached in the Hall. [Prob. Jona. Parsons, gr. 1729 ; afterwards 
settled in Newburyport, and an intimate friend of Rev. John C. He died in 
1776.] 

March 21. Mr. Burr preaches, and sets forth the terms of the law. Mr. Bella- 
my preached in the meeting house in the afternoon. At night. Burr preached 
in the Hall, from " Seek ye first," &c., which he apphed to the scholars in par- 
ticular. J. C. retires with Ely [Simon Ely] into a "lot to pray." 

March 22. Mr. Burr preaches. J. C. still like a stone. At night, Mr. Will- 
bart preaches in the Hall. Lord, primus, seemed affected somewhat. [Jona. 
Haynes Lord is the only one of the name on the catalogue for that time.] This 
night, Mr. Parsons preached at the Separate meeting. Mr. Lockwood arrives. 

March 23. — Walks at noon with Lord, primus, and with Russell. They talk 
of religion. Mr. Bobbins preaches at the Separate meeting in the afternoon. 
In the evening Mr. Burr preaches in the Hall. 

March 24. Writes to his parents. Lord, 2d, goes from College. Mr. Burr 
preaches in the evening. J. C. is affected by it. 

March 25. " This day I walked about like a vagabond." In the afternoon Mr. 
Burr preached at the meeting exceeding well. 

March 26. " This day we have had no preaching from those ministers of God, 
that have preached so frequently of late." [The protracted meeting lasted 
from the 19th to the 26th of March.] A noise that evening in one of his ears, 
put him a thinking. 

March 27. Wakes at early dawn in distress of mind. In the afternoon, Mr. 
Burr preached in the meeting house. 

March 28. Sabbath. Mr. Burr preaches all day. " Since last Friday I 
have heard thirteen sermons from the ministers [of truth] I trust. [He means 
last Friday week.] 

March 29. " This day I do not remember much what hath been acted." 
This night Ely sailed for home. No meeting of the class. 

March 30. Talks with Strong about his vile condition. 

March 31. We finish the Evangelists. "I and some more get a berth for a 
voyage home." Dull and lifeless in religious things. 

Ap. 1. A broken day. Sent things on board the vessel, which was pre- 
vented from sailing by a storm. " Took leave of my school-fellows." 

5 



6Q 

Ap. 2. Sailed from New Haven for New London. Wind contrary — fright — 
sea-sickness — bad niglit — tossed about on the Horse-race. 

Ap. 3. " Reach New London at one P. M. Take boat for Norwich, and 
get there about 5." Then he and Draper travel till nine o'clock, and come to 
Dea. Lathrop's. 

Ap. 4. Sabbath. Mr. Mills preached. At noon he is something distressed 
to see the great joy of his mother, brother and sister. He never saw such a 
meeting. He fears he is wearing off his convictions, &c. 

Ap. 5. He is concerned about himself. He attends a meeting at Capt. 
Brown's. Full attendance. 

Ap. 12. "I went down into town. This night Mills preached. We had 
some of us a very live meeting. I tarried at uncle Solomon Paine's." 

Ap. 13. Talked with uncle Solomon about religion. He related his experi- 
ence. This afternoon Mills preached. His words seemed to have a very great 
effect upon the audience. I was distrest, but others more so. There was a 
great stir indeed. 

Ap. 14. This morning Mr. Baker preached at uncle Johnson's. Some seemed 
to be alive, and some dead. After sermon, a company of us went to Newent 
to hear Mr. Meacham, and Sir Judd. Something of a stir, and some very bold 
opposers. 

Ap. 15. Rode with Mr. Meacham and uncle Elisha Paine to the West Farm. 
Meacham preached : considerable stir. 

Ap. 16. His convictions are faint. He returns home with his usicle. He 
makes the acquaintance of Sir Lewis. 

Ap. n. Walked with Aunt Constance up to Grandmother Paine's. 

Ap. 18. Mills preached. Brother Ebenezer taken into the Church. 

Ap. 19. Visits Sir Lewis. Goes with him to the Lower End meeting. Sir 
Lewis did well, and they were all filled. 

Ap. 20. This forenoon I spent with Lucy Cleaveland. [She was daughter of 
his uncle Henry.] 

Ap. 21. J. C. kept school for Sir Lewis. There was a meeting at uncle 
Elisha Paine's. 

Ap. 22. He is stupid. His father relates his experience. 

Ap. 23. Mills preached. J. C. and Mr. Bradford took a walk among the 
hills to pray. " This night I heard of a bird's crowing before a man's door at 
Saybrook." 

Ap. 26. He spends the forenoon in the mill-house in prayer and reading the 
Scriptures. In afternoon Mills gave a funeral discourse on Sam^ Adams. 
The children of God were very live at the funeral. A spirit of exhortation 
was poured down upon them. Two persons were "struck into conviction." 

Ap. 29. This forenoon, I spent at uncle Johnson's, and in travelling. Some 
discourse I had with Enos Hide upon the way ; some with Stephen Backus ; 
some with an opposer. 



67 

May 6. Mr. Mosley preaches from Luke xxii: 48. He preached exceeding 
well. There was a revival among Christians, and a stir among sinners, but my 
heart Avas hard as adamant. 

May 1. Labored out of doors for about an hour. Mr. Mosley preached from 
Hebr. "Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith," &c. Then Mr. Mills preached from 
Malachi ii: 7. 

Both the brothers Cleaveland, years afterwards, obtained their de- 
grees. In view of the whole transaction ending in their expulsion, I 
remark : 

1. All these difficulties grew out of the attempt of the Colonial 
government and of those who supported its measures, (including the 
College,) to sustain the Congregational Establishment. This had be- 
gun to be shaken by the divisions that had arisen on questions of 
theology and practical religion, and by the rising spirit of liberty 
The friends of the ancient order who had been trained to feel that 
the prosperity of the Church depended on it, were naturally disposed 
to put forth extraordinary exertions to suppress the movements that 
looked to its overthrow. 

2. The governors of College were correct in pronouncing the pro- 
ceedings of the Church at Canterbury illegal. They were honest in 
considering the circle of young " New Lights " to which the Cleave- 
lands belonged, as seditious in their spirit, and as responsible for need- 
less commotions in College which involved incivility and disobedience 
to the College officers. In the act of expulsion they expressed the 
opinion that the offenders had been prevented from making due ac- 
knowledgments by "the ill-advice of others," evidently alluding to 
the ministers whose counsel they had taken. But they were unreason- 
ably severe in requiring the young men to humble themselves by a 
public confession, for actions done in ignorance of the law of the In- 
stitution, in a case where ignorance was excusable. And their endeav- 
ors to support the General Assembly in the effort to put down Con- 
gregational dissent by the infliction of severe punishments, were mis- 
taken and ineffectual. 

3. The young men who were thus dealt with, although they may 
have been, like Brainerd, for a time tinctured with an unhealthy 
zeal, were nevertheless actuated by principle. In leaving College, 
they doubtless made a painful sacrifice in obedience to the dic- 
tates of conscience. They both became ministers^ of the Gospel, and 
bore through life an irreproachable character; 



68 

The religious Diary of John Cleaveland, with its record of fluctua- 
ting emotions, resembles that of Brainerd. A rapturous excitement 
of feeling is followed by a corresponding depression. Such alternations 
of feeling were mistaken for changes of character ; and this mistaken 
idea tended more than anything else to produce them. The laws un- 
der which the religious emotions are developed, were little consid- 
ered ; and this error in practical theology, deprived many of the 
best men of the peace which Christ left to his disciples. The distress 
of Brainerd often sprung from ill health, morbid introspection, and 
other causes that do not imply a want of consecration to God. It is 
this fact that renders bis life, in some of its features, a melancholy 
piece of biography. The consequences of the great Revival did much 
to correct the perverted ideas relative to religious emotions, which 
prevailed during its progress. This is abundantly shown in the corres- 
pondence and other writings of Edwards. But errors on this subject 
had a lasting eflfect on the type of piety prevalent in New England, 
and from them we have not yet recovered. 



No. VII. 

The title of this Protest against Whitefield is as follows : " The 
Declaration of the Rector and Tutors of Yale College in New Haven, 
against the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, his Principles and Designs, 
In a letter to him." It followed a similar "Testimony of the 
Faculty of Harvard College, " published in December of the previous 
year, and Resolutions of the same character passed by various Asso- 
ciations of ministers. 

On the occasion of his first visit to New Haven, Whitefield had 
dined with the Rector and Tutors, and visited the library of the Col- 
lege. The subsequent appearance of his Journal gave just offense to 
many of the clergy of New England. He said, among other things, 
in this inconsiderate publication : " As to the Universities, I believe it 
may be truly said the light in them is now become darkness, even thick 
darkness that may be felt." He also said that he "was persuaded the 
generality of preachers, talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ ;" and 
" many, nay most that preach, I fear, do not experimentally know 
Christ." Davenport and numerous fanatical exhorters, striving to 



69 

imitate Whitefield, were travelling from parish to parish, inflaming 
weak minds by their wild, denunciatory harangues. 

The Declaration of the Eector and Tutors aims to establish two 
points. They say, 

" First, it has always appeared to us that you and other itinerants 
have laid a scheme to turn ihe generality of ministers out of their 
places, and to introduce a new set of such as should be in a peculiar 
manner attached to you; and this you would effect by prejudicing 
the minds of people against their ministers, and thereby induce them 
to discard them or separate from them." 

"Secondly, it has always appeared to us that you and other itiner- 
ants have laid a scheme to vilify and subvert our colleges, and to in- 
troduce a set of ministers into our churches, by other ways and means 
of education." 

In support of the first proposition they appeal to Whitefield's cen- 
sure of the ministers as for the most part unconverted, and his asser- 
tion that " all unconverted ministers are half beasts and half devils, 
and can no more be the means of any man's conversion than a dead 
man can beget a living child." They also refer to the remark of Ten- 
nent, in his Nottingham sermon, (which Whitefield had pronounced 
an unanswerable discourse,) " that those who are contented under 
such a ministry are as blind as moles, and dead as stones, without 
any spiritual taste or relish." They then endeavor to show that to 
persuade the people to discard their ministers or separate from them 
was something intended and designed by Whitefield. They infer this 
from what they pronounce to be the obvious tendency of his words 
and actions, and from the course pursued by the Separatists who pro- 
fessed to take him for a model and whose conduct he had never pub- 
licly disapproved. They also allude to what Whitefield had told Ed- 
wards of his intention to bring over a number of young men from 
England to be ordained by the Tennents ; and deduce the conclusion 
that these foreigners were intended to supplant the pastors whom he 
complained of as unconverted. 

They support the charge against him in reference to the colleges, 
by inferences from what Whitefield had published in respect to their 
unfitness for their appropriate work of training ministers, and from 
remarks of Tennent in the sermon before mentioned, to which he had 
given his sanction. 



70 

It is not difficult to determine the merits of this unhappy contro- 
versy. Whitefield confessed that what he had said of the clergy and 
colleges was unguarded and unjust, and with his wonted nobleness 
expressed sorrow for the wrong he had thoughtlessly done. It is not 
strange that the persons injuriously affected by his reflections, should 
have felt deeply wounded at finding themselves thus held up to re- 
proach before the world by so conspicuous a person. There was 
ground also for suspecting Whitefield of lending countenance to the 
reckless itinerants of the class of Davenport. He was himself dis- 
posed to a superstitious faith in dreams, sudden impulses and bodily 
possessions, (as his writings abundantly show ;) and in a letter written 
about the time "the Declaration " was pubhshed, he mentions "the 
good Davenport." But the faculty were grievously mistaken in sup- 
posing that he had laid a scheme to eject the ministers from their parish- 
es and to introduce others in their place. Especially is this accusation 
painful to read, when we see it made in the face of what he had so 
candidly said in his reply to the Harvard " Testimony " : " Such a 
thought never entered my heart ; neither, as I know of, has my preach- 
ing the least tendency thereunto. I am determined to know nothing 
among you, but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I have no intention 
of setting up a party for myself, or to stir up people against their pas- 
tors." " At the same time, I desire to be humbled and to ask public 
pardon for any rash words I have dropped, or anything I have written 
or done amiss. This leads me also to ask forgiveness, Gentlemen, if 
I have done you or your society any wrong." The proofs which the 
Rector and Tutors adduce, would indeed, in the case of any man less 
impulsive, less heedless of consequences beyond an immediate object, 
have been sufficient to justify their opinion. But when we under- 
stand the character of Whitefield, however we may deplore the faults 
from which he afterwards almost entirely recovered, we have no diffi- 
culty in giving credit to his disavowal of the purposes imputed to 
him. Still, an attention to all the facts and to the circumstances of 
the time will prevent any one from condemning the Declaration of the 
Rector and Tutors, as if it were a monument of bigotry and intoler- 
ance. It was necessary to make a stand against fanaticism, and they 
directed their blow at him whom they erroneously considered as in- 
tentionally responsible for all the disturbance occasioned by the wild 
pretenders who resembled him only in the loudness of their voices. 



71 

Attached to the " Declaration " is a singular postscript concerning 
the Moravians, whose principles appeared to the Rector and Tutors 
" to be artfully contrived to prepare the minds of raen for Popery." 
They allude to the imprisonment of some of them in N"ew York, and 
conclude with this request addressed to Whitefield : " Now as you are 
a friend and patron of the Moravians, and have acted in concert with 
them, we presume that you are well acquainted with their principles 
and designs, and would very much oblige the world, if you would give 
some light and satisfaction in this matter, and ease them of their fears, 
if they Kre groundless." 



No. VIII. 

The pamphlets of that day, and still more the unpublished papers 
of Dr. Stiles, enable us to understand the course taken by President 
Clap, in the different periods of his presidency. Prior to the year 
1752, he cooperated earnestly with those who sought to prevent 
divisions in the churches. He was then governed, not by theological 
considerations, so much as by his fear of the disturbance and conten- 
tion in parishes, resulting from the religious agitation excited by the 
revival preachers. He was prompted, under the impulse of this 
feeling, to second the wishes of the Colonial government by dealing 
severely with students who showed discontent with the established 
worship. Hence, the expulsion of Brainerd and the Cleavelands : 
hence, also, the Declaration against Whitefield. But when the New 
Light preachers were assailed by latitudinarian opposers, the Presi- 
dent felt disposed to side with the former. The more his interest 
was awakened in the direction of religious doctrine, the more would 
his sympathies be withdrawn from the men with whom he had 
formerly acted. This change was hastened by the fact that he 
found himself withstood in his design to form a church in college, by 
former friends, and supported by many to wdiom he had previously 
been opposed. Judge Darling, for example, one of the signers of the 
Declaration concerning Whitefield, who had joined the President in 
decrying enthusiasm, now came out against him. It was mentioned, 
as a significant fact, that Dr. Daggett shortly after he began his 
duties in college, on the occasion of his illness, sent a request that 
prayers might be offered, to the separate church. The Rev. Chauncey 



72 

Whittelsey, not long before President Clap's death, in a letter to Dr. 
Stiles, speaks of himself as no longer admitted to the President's 
counsels. Dr. Stiles, whom President Clap had befriended in his 
youth, likewise considered himself as no more possessing his sympa- 
thy. The President's theological opinions had not been modified, 
but he sustained the policy adopted by the New Light party in the 
General Assembly ; and on this account was called a political New 
Light. At different times from the year lYSO, as we are informed 
by Dr. Stiles, the rumor was started that both Harvard and Yale 
were lapsing into Arminianism. On the arrival of Whitefield, this 
charge was revived. In consequence of this suspicion, fifteen or 
twenty young men were induced to go from New England to the 
College of New Jersey, during the first ten years after that institution 
was founded. The New Jersey College was under the control of 
New Light ministers who were free from all suspicion of Arrainian 
tendencies. It received from the General Assembly of Connecticut, 
when the New Lights in this body had got the predominance, 
permission " to draw a lottery " for its benefit, within the limits of 
this colony. In a letter signed by President Burr, the trustees 
acknowledged the favor with gratitude, promising that " while the 
College of New Jersey shall have a being, or continue to diffuse its 
benign influences throughout the Southern Provinces of North 
America, it will not be forgot that this honorable Court encouraged 
it in its infancy, and helped to give it a lasting establishment." 
These circumstances awoke the surmise that President Clap's newly 
developed concern for the cause of orthodoxy in doctrine, which 
swallowed up his former zeal for external conformity and union, was 
dictated by a desire to save the popularity of the College. Such 
a motive was directly charged upon him by the excited pamphleteers 
who were offended at his conduct. But the accusation, probably, 
had no foundation in truth. There is no reason to question the 
sincerity of his principles. The most candid of his adversaries 
acknowledged the rectitude of his character. Imperious he may 
have been, and destitute of the power to conciliate other minds; 
but he was unquestionably honest and unselfish. A small manuscript 
book has been put in my hands, in which President Clap recorded 
his reflections upon "certain remarkable occurrences in Divine 
Providence," in the course of his life. The expressions in it of 



73 

devout affection for God, and of strong confidence in His mercy, 
together with the earnest supplications for light and strength from 
above, are indicative of a piety not less deep if less fervent, than 
that of Brainerd. This little book concludes thus: "July 7,1763. 
New Stile. I, being this day sixty years old set apart some special 
time, to review my past life, and to examine into the evidences of the 
reality and proficiency of grace in my heart. I have for above 
forty years, had a steady and confirmed hope ; and upon a strict 
review, I think my great, steady and ultimate end and design, has 
been to do and fulfill the will of God and to promote his glory. And 
my governing principle always has been to do that which God 
would approve and justify in the great day. Though by reason of 
the natural deadness of my own heart, and my being so constantly 
involved in public business, I have not had such a strong and lively 
exercise of grace [or] made such progress in it, as I ought to have 
done." 



No. IX. 

The theological principles and position of Dr. Stiles deserve a more 
particular notice than they have yet received. His father, the Rev. 
Isaac Stiles, of North Haven, was a preacher noted for his talents and 
his vigor in the pulpit. He was one of the most energetic opposers 
of the new measures adopted by the followers of Whitefield, and re- 
sisted all innovations upon the ecclesiastical system established by the 
ancient laws of this Colony. In his Election Sermon at Hartford in 
1742, he took occasion to reprobate the conduct of those who, as he 
thought, were making divisions in the Church, and to comment with 
great severity upon the general character of the New Light party. Af- 
ter describing the separate meetings as " schismatical conventicles," he 
says : "I would humbly propose whether this be not an iniquity to be 
punished by the Judges, and whether in these times not oi ignorance^ 
but of great light, these things should be connived and winked at by 
any ? Can nothing be done to heal our unhappy divisions ? to put a 
stop to and prevent unscriptural separations and disorderly practices 
of various kinds, which have a direct tendency to, and by a natural 
causality necessarily do, disturb the peace of this our Jerusalem, and 
greatly weaken the walls of it ?" "Those evil surmisings," he adds, 



74 

"and uncharitable jealousies one of another, these aspersions cast one 
upon another, and upon some of the best friends of our Zion, those 
strifes and contentions among us in towns, churches, &c., are very 
provoking to God, and are like to be ruinating to ourselves." He 
exhorted the Rulers to put in execution the laws against schism. To 
the ministry, he said : " Here let me enter a caveat against some things 
which have an undoubted tendency to pull down and destroy^ instead 
of building up Jerusalem. Beware of that Luciferian pride and ar- 
rogancy which prompts some to invade the divine prerogative, to an- 
ticipate the work of the Day of Judgment, to take upon them to judge 
the secrets of men's hearts and determine their state Godward, to 
censure and condemn even those as unconverted and hypocrites ' of 
whom the world is not worthy.' " He is careful, however, while de- 
nouncing extravagances, to express his deep thankfulness for tbe gen- 
uine fruits of the Spirit visible in the extensive revival. In this he 
was entirely sincere.* While thus hostile to movements which he 
deemed promotive of discord and confusion, the father of Dr. Stiles 
was equally averse to the rigorous imposition of creeds and systems of 
Divinity. In the sermon at the ordination of his son at Newport, in 
1755, he thus addresses him : " Let your sermons smell of the lamp ; 
and preach Christ, not Calvin, not Luther, nor Armii#ius." " Con- 
tend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints you must ; but 
then not the doctrines of Calvin, or of Chrysostom, but of Christ, are 
to be regarded as infallible. The Bible must needs be the only system 
of Divinity to be depended upon, as the unerring rule of faith and man- 
ners." " Don't (Procrustes like) be for stretching every man that is 
shorter than your bed, to the length of it ; nor for cutting them short- 

* How tliis sermon was regarded by the party adverse to the preacher, 
may be judged from the account of it by Trumbull in his History, Yol. II, 
p. 167. He was one of the "New Lights," and succeeded the Rev. Isaac 
Stiles at North Haven. " The preacher at the election," says Trumbull, " was 
the Rev. Isaac Stiles of North Haven. He was a most bitter enemy to the 
work which God had been and was carrying on in the land, and to all the 
instruments of it. He gave himself great liberty to reproach them. He 
compared them to Will with his wisp, and Jack with his lanthern, and pointed 
the artillery of heaven, in a tremendous manner, against them. The Assem- 
bly thanked him for his sermon, and printed it, with all the reproach and 
abuse of his brethren in the ministry, and of other Christians, which it con- 
tained." 



75 

er who are too long for it. Don't, I raean, as the manner of some is, 
be for casting out of your charity, for branding them as graceless, for 
condemning, anathematizing and dooming to damnation all that follow 
not you. Bigotry avaunt 1 Get thee behind me, for thou art an of- 
fense to me. Bigotry ! the poison and bane of social virtue ; 
would to God it were banished out of the world and sent back and 
confined to the infernal shades, the place of its birth and nativity. 
Might the Bereans nobly search the Scriptures, and judge for them- 
selves ? and must we act by an implicit faith, take things upon trust, 
and be tied down to systems and formularies drawn up by uninspired 
men, how venerable soever their names may be?" 

The principal tutor of Dr. Stiles when he was a student in college, 
was Mr. Darling, — the same who published the pamphlet in opposi- 
tion to the religious test introduced by President Clap. "A mutual 
friendship, which commenced at this early period, was ripened after- 
ward into a cordial affection, and heightened the pleasure of the eve- 
ning of their days."* 

I mention these circumstances in the early life of Dr. Stiles, be- 
cause they had their influence in moulding his opinions. 

I. Dr. Stiles was a Calvinist. A moderate Calvinist he may be 
styled, if this appellation belongs to one who is sensible of difficulties 
connected with the doctrines of his system, as well as confident of the 
solid grounds on which these doctrines rest ; who observes a certain 
modesty on the deep matters of Predestination and Original Sin, lest 
by an imperfect statement, or the utterance of a half-truth, he should 
repel or confuse an honest mind ; and who sets a higher value on the 
palpable facts of the Gospel, than on the subtleties of scholastic the- 
ology. The most extended exposition of his doctrinal views is found 
in his discourse on Christian Union, delivered in 1*760, before the 
Congregational clergy of Rhode Island. The first topic embraces an 
account of the fundamental principles of Christianity and Ecclesiasti- 
cal Polity in which the Churches of New England were thought to be 
generally agreed. These are fifteen in number. 1. The Being, the 
Character, and the everlasting, all-controlling Providence of God. 2, 
That notwithstanding God created this, as he did all other worlds, in 
order and rectitude, yet that we are now in a fallen and universally 

* Holmes's Life of Stiles, p. 11. 



76 

depraved state. He alludes, under tliis head, to diversities of judg- 
ment in respect to the origin and descent of moral evil, but claims that 
two things were confessed by all, — one, that no blame is to be ascribed 
to God as the author of it; the other, that it is a fact. For himself, 
he avows his agreement with President Edwards, that we were crea- 
ted pure, and without stain, but in consequence of Adam's sin we en- 
ter a corrupt and disordered state, destitute of a native propensity to 
holiness, though with no positive propensity to ill, so that " the latter 
immediately takes place in our natures, and by the time we arrive to 
the years of moral discretion, we find ourselves, one and all, to have 
fallen a sacrifice to pollution." 3. It is beyond the power of man to 
recover and save himself. This impotence relates both to the regain- 
ing of holiness and the making of an atonement for past transgres- 
sion, and includes, besides, an inability, without divine assistance, to 
comply with the conditions which entitle us to the blessings offered in 
the Gospel. 4. The Divinity and Atonement of the Saviour; the 
Atonement being the meritorious foundation of the believer's salva- 
tion. 5. The Influences and Operations of the Spirit. 6. The results 
of the last two principles in our Justification, Regeneration and Sanc- 
tification. The duty of inculcating a life of purity, holiness and vir- 
tue. 8. la the encouragement every sinner has, however helpless he 
may be, to hope that the use by him of the appointed means of re- 
covery, will terminate in his final salvation. 9. The Resurrection of 
the Dead, the future Judgment and final Retribution. 10. The posi- 
tive institutions of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 11. The Inspira- 
tion of the Scriptures and their Sufficiency as a Rule of Belief and 
Practice. 12. The sufficiency and validity of Presbyterian ordination. 
13. That "every voluntary Christian assembly have an inherent right 
or power, which ought neither to be surrendered or controlled, of elect- 
ing its own officers, such as pastors, or elders, and deacons." 13. 
That every individual Church has the sole power of judging and de- 
termining its own controversies. 14. That the Churches, though thus 
distinct and equal, hold a Christian fellowship and communion. 
"The equality and independence of every Congregational, Apostolic 
Church, is in part the essential basis of the general union and confed- 
eracy." In these points we have, without doubt, a candid account of 
Dr. Stiles's mature sentiments. They demonstrate that he was firmly 
attached to what have been called the doctrines of grace. 



77 

II. Dr. Stiles was decidedly averse to the peculiarities of the New 
Divinity. His feeling on this subject is so well known, and so many 
expressions of it are extant, that I need cite only one of them. In his 
Literary Diary for 1781, he mentions the reception of a letter from 
Dr. Hopkins, which contained a description of the low state of religion 
in Newport. " The people in general," said Dr. Hopkins, " are going 
from bad to worse, and I see no way for my continuing here longer 
than till Spring. Neither your people nor mine are disposed to at- 
tend public worship constantly, except a few individuals." From the 
comments of Dr. Stiles on this letter, I copy a few lines : " Remark 1. 
Very lamentable is the state of religion at Newport, and particularly 
that they will not attend public worship. But 2. One occasion of this 
negligence is brother Hopkins's New Divinity. He has preached his 
own congregation almost away, or into an indifference." 3. Where 
the New Divinity ministers are liked, " their preaching is acceptable, 
not for the new tenets, but for its containing the good old doctrines of 
grace on which the new gentlemen are very sound, and clear, and full. 
In other parts, where the neighboring ministers generally preach the 
old Calvinistic doctrines, the people begin to be tired with the inces- 
sant inculcation of the unintelligible and shocking new points; espe- 
cially that an unconverted man had better be killing his father and 
mother than praying for converting grace ; that true repentence im- 
plies a willingness and desire to be damned for the glory of God ; 
that we are to give God thanks that He has caused Adam to sin and 
involve all his posterity in total depravity, that Judas betrayed and the 
Jews crucified Christ, &c., <fec. ; that the children of none but commu- 
nicants are to be baptized, &c. ; that the Churches and ministers are 
so corrupt and Laodicean, and have so intermixed with the world 
that the New Divinity Churches and ministers cannot hold commun- 
ion, but must and do secede and sequester themselves from them." 
It is obvious that the metaphysical theories preached by Hopkins ap- 
peared to Dr. Stiles to be errors, and he looked upon the preaching in 
which these theories were prominent, as harsh, narrow, and injurious 
to the interests of religion. His judgment concerning the transactions 
in the great Revival, is fully declared in his Rhode Island sermon, 
preached, let it be observed, as late as 1760. " One source of dif- 
ferent sentiment," he says, " were the unhappy excesses into which 
our Churches have been transported in the late enthusiasm that pre- 



78 

vailed since the year 1740. In the public, mistaken zeal, religion was 
made to consist in extravagances and indecencies, which were not ac- 
cording to the faith once delivered. Multitudes were seriously, sober- 
ly and solemnly out of their wits. The Scriptures were in danger of 
being neglected for the indistinguishable impulses of the Spirit of 
God ; sober reason gave way to enthusiasm ; the terrors of eternal 
damnation, instead of subserving rational and sober convictions, were 
improved to throw people into that confusion, frenzy and distraction 
which unfitted them for the genial illuminations of the Holy Spirit. 
Besides this, the standing ministry were aspersed, and represented un- 
der abusive suspicious of being unconverted, legaHsts, Arminians. And 
as they were thus publicly and indecently vilified, so it was taught as 
a duty to forsake their ministrations, and form into separate assem- 
blies. And as was natural to expect, our churches were hereby rent 
and torn and thrown into convulsions and confusions, to the great dis- 
honor of the general cause. Much of this indeed was piously meant and 
honestly intended, and proceeded from a zeal for the cause of God. 
Thus there was no doubt an intermixture of good, and it is to be hoped 
many were savingly converted. Our churches have now in some meas- 
ure cooled and recovered themselves, though the spirit of enthusiasm is 
not altogether extinguished as yet, but operates and influences under 
diff'erent pretexts and in a difierent form." A single sentence in the 
foregoing passage may serve to characterize the difference between Dr. 
Stiles and such as warmly favored the revival. The former speaks of 
" the intermixture of good " as if the evil greatly preponderated ; 
President Edwards, on the contrary, looked upon the movement as in 
the main good, though intermixed with much evil. They were equally 
honest, equally attached to a pure Christianity. 

III. Dr. Stiles felt the importance of cherishing a catholic and char- 
itable spirit. Just before he began his ministry, he went through a 
lonfy and distressino^ conflict with doubt. He was led in the course of 
this experience, to ponder the difiiculties of faith, and to weigh the ob- 
jections both to natural and revealed religion. He was versed in the 
history of religious controversies. He was familiar with the various 
systems by which it has been sought, in different ages, to state me- 
thodically the contents of the Gospel. His intercourse with eminent 
men at home and abroad, was unusually extensive. And he had, by 
nature, a kindly temper towards all. These circumstances tended to 



79 

widen his sympathies. They gave him a distaste for polemia zeal. 
They indinod him to give prominence to the truth on which Christians 
agree, rather than to the matters on which they differ. This notice of 
the revival, from which I have quoted, concludes thus : *' On all sides 
there have doubtless been errors and indiscretions ; let us put on con- 
descension and charity ; and nobly forgive one another." He express- 
es to his correspondent, Dr. Alison, his desire to have " the names of 
New and Old Light, and all other sectarian names banished and ex- 
changed for the Christian name." And on another occasion, he thus 
declares his aversion to sectarian bonds : '' There is so much pure 
Christianity among all sects of Protestants, that I cheerfully embrace 
all in my charity. There is so much defect in all that we all need for- 
bearance and mutual condescension. I don't intend to spend my days 
in the fire of party ; at the most I shall resist all claims and endeavors 
for supremacy or precedency of any sect — for the rest, I shall promote 
peace, harmony and benevolence. I honor all Protestant Churches so 
far as they are reformed, and even the Church of England, as a sister, 
by no means a mother Church. But I conscientiously give the pref- 
erence in my own choice to the Congregational Churches as nearest 
the primitive standard, and most pm*ified from the corruptions of the 
Latin Church." Actuated by these feelings, Dr. Stiles followed his 
father in disliking creeds. Here he entirely dissented from his teach- 
er and patron. President Clap. From annotations in a copy of Judge 
Darling's pamphlet against the President, which are in the hand-wri- 
ting of Dr. Stiles, we should infer that he agreed with his friend in his 
vehement opposition to theological tests. In his sermon on union, he 
is quite explicit. He there complains of the desire of some to sub- 
stitute " human interpretations given by authority of councils and 
learned men, exacting that the sacred Scriptures be understood accord- 
ing to senses fitted and defined in human tests which all acknowledge 
to be fallible." He demands unrestricted freedom of conscience. 
" Not all the difi'erence of sentiment, not all the erroneous opinions 
that have yet been started, afford just umbrage for its extinction, 
abridgment, or embarrassment. Have the Protestant formularies sub- 
served the truth as it is in Jesus? Rather have they not in event 
proved new sources of religious dispute and undeterminable contro- 
versy ?" The following sentence evidently alludes to the position of 
President Clap : "I am satisfied we shall err less if we make the 



80 

Scriptures tbe only rule of faith, than if we depart from this and sub- 
stitute another ; or, as many do, who say they believe the Scriptures 
the only rule, and yet in all their judgments on Scripture, measure 
that only rule by another rule." In accordance with his principles, 
Dr. Stiles did not accept the oflSce of President, until he had obtained 
from the Corporation the abrogation of the tests instituted by President 
Clap, with the exception of an assent to the Saybrook Platform. This 
at least, is true of Dr. Stiles, that while neither lukewarm in his con- 
victions of truth, nor reserved in the expression of them, he won the 
confidence of all parties, and his accession to the Presidency, as the 
successor of President Clap, created general satisfaction. The display 
of learning in the published writings of Dr. Stiles, seems to the pres- 
ent generation ostentatious, not to say ludicrous. But this character- 
istic was owing more to the fullness of his mind, to his delight in all 
knowledge and to his unaffected reverence for what is good in the past, 
than to literary vanity. It was not in his day the foible that it would 
be now, and should not prevent us from doing justice to the truly ex- 
cellent qualities of his intellect and character. He was not simply the 
most learned man of his time in America ; he was one of the ablest 
theologians, a bold advocate of civil freedom, a devout and disinterest- 
ed servant of God. 



No. X. 

The election of Dr. Dvvight to the Presidency of Yale College mark- 
ed the triumph in New England of the Edwardean theology. Ac- 
cording to Dr. Hopkins, there were, in 1756, "not more than four or 
five, who espoused the sentiments which since have been called Ed- 
wardean and New Divinity ; and since, after some improvement was 
made upon them, Hopkintonian or Hopkinsian sentiments."* In 
1773, they had increased to forty or fifty. In 1777, under date of 
Nov. 7, we find the following passage in Dr. Stiles's diary : 

*' Rev. Mr. Edwards of New Haven, tells me there are three parties 
in Connecticut all pleased with my election, viz, Arminians, who, he 
said, were a small party ; the New Divinity gentlemen, (of whom he 

* Park's Life of Hopkins, p. 23. 



81 

said lie was called one) who were larger he said, hut still small, and 
the main Body of the Ministers which, he said, were Calvinistic." 
In a letter written in 1796, Hopkins informs us that among the advo- 
cates of the New Divinity were included " more than one hundred in 
the ministry." A few years before, in 1Y8Y, Dr. Stiles thus records 
his satisfaction at the apparent confusion of his theological oppo- 
nents : 

" They (the New Divinity gentlemen) perceive some of the pillars 
are removed ; President Edwards has been dead twenty-nine years, or 
a generation ; Dr. Bellamy is broken down, both body and mind, 
with a paralytic shock, and can dictate and domineer no more ; Mr. 
Hopkins still continues, but past his force, having been somewhat af- 
fected by a fit and nervous debilitation ; Mr. West is declining in 
health, and besides, was never felt so strong rods as the others. It has 
been the ton to direct students in Divinity, these thirty years past, to 
read the Bible, President Edwards, Dr. Bellamy, and Mr. Hopkins's 
writings ; — and this was a pretty good sufficiency of reading. But 
now the younger class, but yet in full vigor, suppose they see further 
than these oracles, and are disposed to become oracles themselves, and 
wish to write theology and have their own books come into vogue. The 
very New Divinity gentlemen say, they perceive a disposition among 
several of their brethren to struggle for preeminence ; — particularly 
Dr. Edwards, Mr. Trumbull, Mr. Sraalley, Mr. Judson, Mr. Spring, Mr. 
Robinson, Mr. Strong of Hartford, Mr.Dwight, Mr. Emmons, and others. 
They all want to be Luthers. But they will none of them be equal to 
those strong reasoners. President Edwards and Mr. Hopkins." These 
reflections conclude with a prediction which time has not verified : 
*' President Edwards's valuable writings in another generation will 
pass into as transient notice, perhaps, scarce above oblivion, as 
Willard, or Twiss, or Norton ; and when posterity comes across 
them in the rubbish of libraries, the rare characters who may read and 
be pleased with them, will be looked upon as singular and whimsical, as 
in these days are admirers of Suarez, Aquinas, or Dionysius Areopagita." 
This whole passage shows Dr. Stiles's distaste for the peculiarities of 
the new school of Divines ; but it indicates clearly their activity, and 
the power they were gaining. At the death of Dr. Stiles, Dr. Dwight 
had become so eminent a man in the judgment of the public, that his 
election to the Presidency was in accordance with a general expecta- 



82 

lion. From that time the old Calvinism, as something distinct from 
the Edwardean Divinity, disappears from view. This result is owing 
very much to the personal influence of Dwiglit. He communicated to 
others the reverence he felt himself for the genius of President Edwards. 
He gained strength by discarding the eccentric theory of Hopkins and 
Emmons concerning Resignation, which he had espoused in early life, 
and especially by vigorously opposing their odious propositions rela- 
tive to the Divine efficiency in the production of sin. His pupils, com- 
prising in their number such men as GriflSn, Beecher, Stuart, became 
distinguished preachers and rose to the position of leaders in the the- 
ological world. From the outset, indeed, the disciples of the l^ew 
Divinity displayed superior energy, both in the investigation of truth 
and in practical enterprises for the spread of God's kingdom. A man 
like Bellamy or Smalley, was himself a host. They were naturally 
selected to preside over colleges and drew to themselves young men 
who were studying for the ministry. They were very active in the 
earlier undertakings in the cause of Missions. Their efficiency was 
seen in the revivals of religion which took 23lace in New England 
from the closing years of the last century down to a recent period. 
By a variety of agencies, the party professing the ancient Calvinism 
and eschewing " the improvements" of the New Divinity, has been 
quite obliterated in New England. Eighty years ago, the followers 
of President Edwards among the Calvinistic clergy, were said by his 
son, the younger President, to be few in number. At present, there 
are some who are scarcely aware that there ever was a time, since his 
death, when the Calvinists of New England did not regard President 
Edwards as the most authoritative expounder of their principles. His 
theology, however, it cannot be denied, had from the beginning the 
respect of many who refused to adopt the additions proposed by his 
disciples. It is still a mooted point among the interpreters of his 
writings, whether he deviated from Calvin in anything, except in 
modes of statement. 



No. XL 

The Confession of Faitb and the Covenant of the Church in Col- 
leo-e, are as follows : 

The confession of faith. — You [and each of you] solemnly profess your 
belief that there is but one God, in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the 



83 

Holy Ghost ; self-existent, independent, eternal, unchangeable ; infinite in power, 
wisdom, holiness, goodness, and truth: — that by him all things were made ; and 
are preserved and governed according to his own most wise, holy and good pleas- 
ure ; and that you are his creature, and under the most righteous and solemn 
obligations to serve and glorify him with all your powers while you live. 
You also profess your belief that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament 
are the word of God ; revealed to mankind by the spirit of truth ; and con- 
taining every rule of faith and practice which is obligatory on the conscience 
of mankind. 

Thus you profess and believe. 

The Covenant. — ^You [and each of you] now solemnly avouch the Lord 
Jehovah to be your God ; your Father, Redeemer, and Sanctifier ; and do 
solemnly give up yourselves to him, as his children ; purposing and engaging, 
so far as you know the state of your own minds, to obey, through his grace, 
without which you can do nothing acceptable to him, all his commandments 
and ordinances ; and denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, 
righteously, and godly in the present world. 

Moreover, you covenant with the members of this church, to walk with them, 
through the influence and assistance of the same grace, in the order of the gos- 
pel ; to submit, as becometh Christians, to the discipline prescribed by the Re- 
deemer ; to watch over your brethren ; to instruct, reprove, admonish, comfort, 
and strengthen them ; and wilhngly to be instructed, admonished and reproved 
by them, with the meekness and humility of the gospel. 

Thus you covenant and promise. 

We, then, the members of this church of Christ, do also covenant with you, 
that through the same divine assistance, we will perform the same Christian 
duties to you. 

And may God enable us to be mutually faithful, through Jesus Christ ; to 
whom be glory forever. Amen. 

N. B, By a rule of the Church, adopted in 1829, all communicants who join 
any of the College classes, and who expect not to commune with other denom- 
inations of Christians, are required to bring letters of dismission, and unite 
wath the Church, in four months from the time of their admission into Col- 
lege ; and members who leave the College, are required to take dismission in 
six months from the time of leavins;. 



No. XII. 

The following description of the revival of 1831, is extracted from 
Prof. Goodrich's Article on tlie History of Revivals in the College, in 
the American Quarterly Register, Vol. X : — 



84 

"The spring of 1831 will long be remembered as one of the most 
remarkable seasons of refreshing from on high, which has ever been 
experienced at this College. 

'The first church meeting of the term [two days after College came 
together] was one of peculiar interest. The earnest inquiry was, 
what shall we do to secure the divine blessing ? It was finally pro- 
j^osed that all who felt desirous of a revival, should meet on the next 
Sabbath evening to pray for it, and adopt such measures as duty might 
dictate. The Bible Class on Saturday evening [Jan. 22d,] was full to 
overflowing ; after which one individual was disposed to go and con- 
verse with the Professor on the subject of his soul's salvation. 
There was something very striking in the appearance of College at 
this time. Though not another instance of seriousness was known to 
exist in the institution, every one seemed to anticipate the result, and 
the whole of College stood waiting in solemn expectation, to see the 
arm of the Lord revealed. Within the compass of the next week, the 
long-sought influence of the Spirit came, not with rapid and over- 
whelming power, as in the revival of 1802, but rather like the 'still 
small voice ' before which the prophet wrapped his face in his mantle 
as he stood upon the mount. It spread silently and slowly through 
the whole institution. The number under conviction of sin was never 
very great at any one time, but as these were led by divine grace to 
put their trust in the Redeemer, others were brought forward in their 
place, through the prayers and labors of the people of God ; until at 
last there were comparatively few rooms left, where the cry was not 
heard, ' What shall I do to be saved V — or the voice of thanksgiving 
raised to the Father of lights from whom ' cometh down every good 
and perfect gift.' Many, indeed, of those who were awakened, after- 
wards yielded to the fatal delusion of putting off" repentance to a more 
convenient season ; but, before the end of the term, nearly one half 
of the impenitent in College, were hopefully brought into the king- 
dom of God. As the fruits of this revival, seventy-four were added 
at a subsequent period to the College Church, and not far from thirty 
to other churches.'* 

"Religious meetings were not greatly multiplied during this revival. 
To the ordinary exercises with which the year commenced, a sermon 

* This paragraph is quoted by Professor Goodrich from an account written at 
the time by Mr, Peter Parker, since missionary in China. 



85 

was added on Sabbath evening ; and at first one meeting for inquiry, 
and afterwards a second, in the course of the week. These meetings 
rarely exceeded an hour in length. The brethren of the Church, with 
those who had hoped in Christ, met for a few moments each morning 
after breakfast, to pray and converse together, and then turned to the 
ordinary dutie? of the day. The amount of study during the term, 
was very little, if at all, diminished by the revival ; and in many in- 
stances, there was an immediate and very marked improvement in 
scholarship, among those who were subjects of the work. Much of 
the success which attended the labors of the brethren, was owing to 
an uncommon degree of delicacy and tenderness in their intercourse 
with the unconverted, and of mutual concession and fervent love 
among themselves. The sense which they all seemed to feel of de- 
pendence on the Holy Spirit to produce the desired results, was 
stronger and more prevailing than I have ever witnessed in' any other 
case." 

"The circumstances attending the close of this revival were remark- 
able. Down to the first week in April, it went on with unabated 
power ; and at no period were the prospects of its continued pro. 
gress, more encouraging than at that time. It appeared, indeed, as 
though nothing stood in the way of the conversion of all College ; 
that, if the work went forward, as there was every indication it would 
do, to the end of the term, it must cease for want of subjects ; and the 
whole Church seemed to share in the humble but fixed determination 
that, with the aid of divine grace, nothing should be wanting on their 
part, to secure so blessed a consummation. At this period, the assist- 
ance of Christians in College, was requested by the churches of the 
city, in efi'orts to prepare the minds of God's people for a protracted 
meeting, which was soon to be held. These efforts, and the services 
of the meeting which soon followed, devolved, to a great extent, in 
consequence of a failure in expected aid, upon those oflScers of College 
who had been actively engaged in the revival there. The sympathy 
and interest of the College Church, were, very naturally, turned to the 
wider field which lay open before them, ' already white for the har- 
vest.' As the work in town advanced with unexampled rapidity and 
power, and hundreds were seen, without the slightest disorder or ex- 
citement, pressing at once into the kingdom of God, the hearts of the 
brethren in College, were naturally drawn forth, and their prayers 



86 

directed, to the scenes of triumpliant grace whicli were opened around 
them. The revival in College seemed to be merged in the revival in 
town ; and from the close of the protracted meeting, which lasted three 
days, there was hardly a single new case of conviction among the stu- 
dents, and but few instances comparatively, of hopeful conversion 
among those who had been serious before. As the result of the revival 
in town, nearly nine hundred persons, in all the churches of every de- 
nomination were added to the professed followers of Christ." 

The Rev. Dr. Dutton, of New Haven, who was then a student in 
College, has kindly furnished me with the following additional recol- 
lections of this revival : 

" The College was favored, during this great work of grace, by hav- 
ing among its officers and students many who were ' wise to win souls.' 
Peter Parker, afterwards missionary to China, was then a member of 
the Senior Class. He had great influence, for there was universal confi- 
dence in his Christian character ; he devoted the larger part of his time 
for weeks to religious work ; and his addresses and conversations were 
most skillful, judicious and earnest. Among the theological students 
whom I remember as having an excellent influence in the conference 
meetings, and in private conversation, were Albert Hale, now pastor 
of a church in Springfield, Illinois, Edwin Stevens, afterwards mission- 
ary to China, Amos Pettengill, Horace Bushnell, and William Carter. 
The four last were Tutors. 

" But specially worthy of mention were the labors of Professor 
Goodrich, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Fitch. Professor Goodrich and Dr. 
Taylor were resorted to by a large number of inquirers for the way 
of salvation ; and their mode of directing them evinced a high degree 
of Christian wisdom, — great knowledge of the gospel, and of the 
laws and operations of the human mind when under the influence of 
the truth and the Spirit. Dr. Taylor frequently preached in the eve- 
ning in the Rhetorical Chamber, with great solemnity and power. 
His discourses were admirably adapted to convince of sin, and to lead 
to repentance and faith. Dr. Fitch's sermons in the Chapel on the 
Sabbath and at the meetings in the city, were wonderful examples of 
ingenuity, earnestness and eloquence. Some of them made so deep 
an impression on my mind that they are remembered in all their parts 
to this day, though twenty-seven years have elapsed, — particularly his 
' Covenant sermon,' as it was called, from the text : ' I will make an 



87 

everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David ;' and 
his sermon on Procrastination, from the text : ' Go thy way for this 
time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.' To those 
three honored men, many have felt themselves greatly indebted for 
their works of Christian wisdom and power under that gracious min- 
istration of the Spirit." 

In connection with the allusion, in the preceding paragraph, to Dr. 
Goodrich's usefulness as a religious counselor, it is proper to mention 
the service he has rendered the College, through the weekly evening 
meeting which he has long conducted. The Saturday evening meet- 
ing for prayer, has been spoken of on page 25th of the Sermon. After 
the death of Dr. Dwight, this meeting came chiefly under the charge 
of Dr. Goodrich, and with some intervals, has been held by him, either 
on Saturday or Sunday, up to the present time. There are many grad- 
uates of the College who look back upon this meeting and upon the 
pastoral advice received in private from Dr. Goodrich, with fervent 
thankfulness. 



No. XIII. 

It is not implied that the course of study was ever theological to 
such an extent as to exclude other sciences which belong to a liberal 
education. For the design was, not only to send out ministers, but 
learned ministers ; and besides, to train young men for civil life. In 
the early times, in respect to the relative prominence given to Divinity, 
Yale was not distinguished from Harvard, as Prof. Kingsley has con- 
clusively shown in his review of Quincy's History. (See Biblical Re- 
pository, 1841 and 1842.) In his sketch of the history of Yale Col- 
lege, Prof, Kingsley has thus described the curriculum of study pur- 
sued in the first period after its foundation. " Logic claimed the prin- 
cipal attention, and skill in syllogistic disputation, was the chief object 
aimed at. Burgersdicius, Ramus, Crackenthorp, and Keckerman, were 
the great lights of the time. The Freshmen were employed the first 
four days of the week on Latin, Greek and Hebrew ; beginning logic 
in the morning, at the latter end of the year, and metaphysics and 
mathematics the fourth year. All resident Bachelors were required 
to dispute syllogistically, once a week, and all undergraduates, after 
they began to read logic, five times a week. Fridays were devoted 
in all the classes, to ethics, rhetoric, and the theology of Wollebius. 



88 

Ames's Medulla was recited on Saturday mornings; and, on Saturday 
evenings, the Assembly's Catechism in Latin. Every Sunday morn- 
ing, there was an exercise in Ames's Cases of Conscience. At the 
beginning of every recitation, a portion of the Hebrew Scriptures was 
read by the class into Greek, except in the Freshman class, where the 
translation of the New Testament into Greek was from English. 
Every undergraduate was required to declaim once in two months, 
and both graduates and undergraduates committed sermons to mem- 
ory, and pronounced them publicly in the College Hall." President 
Woolsey quotes the Latin laws published in 1748, which prescribe 
that, in the first year, the students " shall principally study the 
tongues and logic, and shall in some measure pursue the study of the 
tongues the two next years. In the second year, they shall recite 
rhetoric, geometry and geography. In the third year, natural phi- 
losophy, astronomy and other parts of the mathematics. In the 
fourth year, metaphysics and ethics. Every Saturday shall especially 
be devoted to the study of divinity, and the classes through the whole 
term of their College life shall recite the Westminster Confession of 
Faith received and approved by the Churches in this Colony, Wolle- 
bius's, Ames's Medulla, or any other system of divinity by the direction 
of the President and Fellows. And on Friday, each undergraduate in 
his order, about six at a time, shall declaim in the Hall, in Latin, 
Greek or Hebrew, and in no other language without special leave, and 
the two Senior classes shall dispute twice a week." For full and in- 
teresting details concerning the changes that have taken place from 
time to time in the prescribed course of Instruction, see President 
Woolsey's Historical Discourse, from which the preceding passage is 
taken. The subjects of study were represented in the theses discussed 
on the day of Commencement. I subjoin an extract from the printed 
list of theses discussed by the candidates for the first degree, at the 
Commencement in 1757, — the year in which the Church was estab- 
lished ; also a full copy of a similar programme for the candidates for 
the Master's degree, four years earlier. They serve to show w^hat 
class of subjects engaged the attention of students at that day : 

17 57. PRiECLARissiMO, Optima Eruditione, Vitae Integritate, omnique felicis- 
simd gubernandi Ratione instructissimo YiRO, THOMAE FITCH, Armigero, Co- 
lonise Connecticutensis Gubernatori consummatissimo. 

Honoratissimo Gulielmo Pitkin, Armigero, Colouiae Connecticutensis, Vice- 
Gubernatori peritissimo ; 



89 



Senatorihus spectatissimis Reipublicaa Felicitatis studiosissimis ; Reverendo 
pariter ac honorando D. TnoMiE Clap, Collegii Yalensis Prsesidi, (cujus sub mod- 
eramine sequentia Philosophemata sunt defendenda ;) 

Sociisque reverendis ac eruditis Literaturse Pietatisque Cultoribus benignissi- 
mis ; 

Yenerandis etiam Ecclesiarum Christi passim Pastoribus divina humanaque 
Eruditione ac Pietate ornatissimis ; Universis denique Artium ingenuarum Fau- 
toribus, nostrseque Literarum Reipublic^ Patronis generosissimis ; 

Hasce Theses, quas (Deo annuente,) in Collegio Yalensi defendere cona- 
buntur Juvenes in Artibus initiati, viz . 

[Here follow the names of all the class that graduated in I'ISY, in the order 
now given on the Triennial Catalogue.] 

Of the Theses Technologicae, there were six. 



" " " Logicae, " 


" eleven. 


" " " Grammaticae, " 


" six. 


" " " Rhetoricae, " 


" eleven. 


" " " Mathematicae, " 


" nine. 


" " " Physicae, " 


" thirty-three 


" " " Metaphysicae, " 


" five. 


Theses Ethicae. 





Ethica est Ars secundum Rationem vivendi. 

(1.) Or dines Entium singuli, semper in Perfectione vel Malitia in JEternum 
progredientur. 

(2.) Felicitas hujusce Mundi Propensiones nostras supprimendo, at in futuro 
eas indulgendo consistit. 

(3.) Socii Regis in Bello, causae JEquitati debent esse proportionales. 
' (4.) Ut bene vivamus, aliorum Felicitati Ratio est habenda. 

(5.) Ita Bellum suscipiatur ut Nihil aliud quam Pax quaesita videatur. 

(6.) Omnes creaturae rationales, in omnibus eorum Actionibus, recta Ratione 
seipsos gubernare obligantur. 

(7.) Legem moralem prae ullo Mandato positivo observare obligamur. 

(8.) Yoluptates Rationi perfectae non consentaneae hand prosequendae sunt. 

(9.) Benevolentia ad sui ipsius Felicitatem naturaliter tendit. 

(10.) Necessitas Privilegium quoad Jura privata inducit. 

(11.) Existentia Dei, atque Providentia, Immortalitate Animi conjuncta, ad 
Yirtutem promovendam maxime inserviunt. 

(12.) Nemo est juste Mancipium, nisi seipsum ita libenter reddic. 

(13.) Bona Sodalitate nihil magis petendum, mala nihil magis fugiendum. 

(14.) Yeritatem persequi, mendacium fugere, Enti rationali est dignissimura. 

(15.) Charitas et Amicitia in aeternura permanebunt. 

(16.) In Bono morali amando, et Malo morali in Odio habendo, Yirtus 
consistit. 

(17.) Omne Ens pro ejus existentia Gratias Deo agere semper obhgatur. 

(18.) Omnis miseria h Peccato oritur. 



90 

(19.) In Statu Innoceutiae Obligatio et Potentia semper erunt proportionales. 
(20.) Bonae Litentionis defectics onalam constituit Actionem. 
(21.) Legem moralem abrogare^ Perfectionihus divinis repugnat. 

Theses Theologicae. 

Theologia est scientia, quae Deum, atque ejus Perfectiones contemplatui-. 

(1.) Religio Christiana prout in sacra Scriptura representatur, summae Ra- 
tioni est consent anea. 

(2.) Veritas, Fidelitas, et Constantia Dei in ejus Decretis perspicue illustrantur. 

(3.) Judicium ultimum a Christo, ut Rege exercebitur. 

(4.) Precationis Omissio est Atheismus. 

(5.) Cbristus Rex et Mediator in eternum mauebit. 

(6.) Inter moralem, naturalemque, Impotentiam est Diflferentia. 

(7.) Est Idololatria, corporeae Ideam Formae affigere Deitati quam venera- 
mur. 

(8.) In Accionibtcs vel Conatihus Uominia non renati nihil est Gratiae. 

(9.) Cultus verus absque Fide vera existere neguit. 

(10.) Deus, omnibus sub evangelio, Gratiam ad salutem cJficacem^ non praebet. 

(11.) Homo^ naturalis suae Pravitatis incojisciits, non potest esse renatus. 

His antecedit ORATIO Salutatoria. 



QUAESTIONES, pro Modulo Discutiendse, sub reverendo D. THOMA CLAP, 
CoUegii-Yalensis, quod est Divina Providentia, Novo-Portu Connecticutensium, 
Praeside, in Comitiis Publicis, a Laureae Magistralis Candidatis, Die duodecimo 
Septembris, 17 53. 

I. An Felicitas Creaturae est Finis ultimus Creationis? Negat respondens 
JosEPHUs Pl.att Cooke. 

II. An Sanctorum Beatitudinura, et Damnatorum Miseriarum, Eternitas, 
in Scripturis, pain Certitudine reveletur? Affirmat Respondens Noadiah 

RUSSEL. 

III. An ad Malum Proclivitates, a Statu Probationis secern i possint? Aff. 
Resp. Elisha Steel. 

IV. An Homo, in majus Reipublicae Emolumentum, Res suas aliis concedere 
debet? Ail'. Resp. Daniel Nkwel. 

V. An ulla detur Benevolenlia pura, quae proprium Commodum non re- 
spiciat? Aff. Resp. Samuel Rkvno; ds. 

VI. An Sanctus, Eternitate non sperata, omni ex Parte beatus esse possit ? 
Neg. Resp. Elihu Tudor. 

VII. An Conditio in Compacto illicita, Compactum reddat irritum ? Aff. 
Resp. Thomas Jones. 



91 

VIII. An finale Dei Pi^opositum possit frustrari '? Neg. Resp. Ebenezer Dyar. 

IX. An Creatura ulla, ex Natura sua sit impeccabilis ? Neg. Resp. Perez 
Fitch. 

X. An Statu futuro, Brutse Sanctorum Felicitati inservient? Aff. Resp. 
RiCHARDus Hall. 

XL An humani Generis AnimjB, ab Animalium caeterorura Animabus, nisi 
Perfectionis Gradibus distinguantur ? Neg. Resp. Elijah Blague. 

XII. An Fructus vetiti comestura actualis, fuit Adami Peccatum primum ? 
Neg. Resp. Platt Towksenp. 

XIII. An Mundi naturalis Mutatio, primi Peccati Poena sit existimanda ? Aff. 
Resp. Georuius Loomis. 

XIV. An Venalium Defectus exponere, Mercatoreni oporteat ? Aff. Resp. 
Isaacus Isaacs. 

XV. An Officia moralia, omnes Agentes Morales in iisdem Relationibus 
sequaliter obligaut? Aff. Resp. Benjamin Palmer. 

XVI. An Coelum ingressuri, Amicos olim decessos, Aspectu primo cognove- 
rint, et ab illis cogniti fuerint? Aff". Resp. Jedidiah Smith. 

His succedit Oratio Valedictoria. 

Dr. Stiles states some particulars concerning the study of Hebrew, 
in an account of a class formed by him, in that language : 

"July 2Y, 1778. I this day began to instruct a Class in Hebrew and the 
Oriental languages, which I selected out of all the other Classes, as they volun- 
tarily offered themselves. This is not required of the President ; but I wish to 
benefit the College to the utmost of my power. Johnson is the only under- 
graduate that now understands anything of Hebrew, — he has read something in 
the Psalter. Mr. Tutor Baldwin is a good Hebrician. The other Tutors and 
Professors have some small knowledge of it. It has always been usual to 
initiate every Class a httle into it ; but the dispersed state of the scholars for 
two years past, has prevented this and other usual studies." 

Here follow the names of twenty students who had come forward 
to join this voluntary class. 

How Edwards's treatise on the Will came to be a text-book in 
College, is explained in Dr. Stiles's " Itinerary," V: 183. 

"July 26, 1789. I preached all day for Mr. Brownson, [in Oxford, Conn.] Mr. 
B. tells me his class were the first that recited Edwards on the Will, — thatPres* 
Clap offered the class to choose the Book of Moral Philosophy they wished to 
recite. The class chose Edwards and appointed Dr. Huntington and himself to 
wait on the President with their choice, who approved it. This was 1762," 



92 



No. XIV. 

It may be well to state in brief the circumstances that led to the 
organization of the theological department. We have no knowledge 
of a time in the history of the College when there were not resident 
graduates here, preparing for the ministry. From the year 1*755, 
this class of pupils were in the habit of pursuing their studies under 
the guidance of the Professor of Divinity. By Dr. Dvvight and by 
his predecessors, Doctors Daggett and Wales, several hundred of the 
Alumni of the College were educated for the pastoral office. Among 
the persons who studied theology under the direction of Dr. Dwight, 
may be named, for example, Rev. Moses Stuart, who became a Christ- 
ian in the Revival of 1801, united with the College Church in 1803, 
and was the first Professor of Sacred Literature at Andover. As the 
need of a more extensive course of theological study became felt, Dr. 
Dwight began to cherish the purpose of increasing the means of 
instruction thus furnished. When the project of a Seminary at 
Andover was under discussion in Massachusetts, his advice was sought 
by Dr. Morse of Charlestown, and Dr. Spring of Newburyport, who 
visited New Haven for the purpose of consulting him. He expressed 
to them his warm approval of the proposed undertaking, at the same 
time assuring them that he had long been desirous of providing a 
more complete and systematic course of theological instruction in 
Yale College; and that he should embrace the earliest opportunity of 
carrying out, in this particular, what he deemed to be the design of its 
founders. After the interview with these gentlemen, he stated confi- 
dentially to his young friend and amanuensis, Mr. Taylor, (now the 
Rev. Dr. Taylor,) that his eldest son, Mr, Timothy Dwight, a merchant 
of New Haven, had invested a sum of money in a business enterprise, 
which, with the profits arising from it, was to be ultimately given for 
the object above mentioned. In 1822, fifteen young men, graduates 
of the College, laid before the faculty a petition that they might be 
received as a theological class for the ensuing year. The question 
was thus distinctly presented whether Yale College should cease to be 
a school for theological education. The faculty, considering the 
original design of the pious founders of the institution and the impor- 
tance of maintaining its dignity and religious usefulness, determined to 
recommend to the Corporation to establish a Theological department 



93 

upon an improved and permanent basis. At this time, Mr. Dwight 
came forward with a subscription of |5,000 towards an endowment 
for a Professor of Didactic Theology. Had he not been prevented by 
misfortunes in trade, he would have fulfilled his intention of greatly 
increasing this first donation. The sum of $20,000 was collected for 
the Professorship. This was accepted by the Corporation, who pro- 
ceeded to establish the Theological Department, grounding their action 
on the fact that "one of the principal objects of the pious founders 
of this College, was the education of pious young men for the work of 
the ministry." The Corporation likewise voted " that in commemoration 
of the hio^h sense which this board entertains of the distinofuished 
merits of the Rev. Timothy Dwight, D. D., late President of this Col- 
lege, and of his eminent services and usefulness while in ofiice, the 
Professorship this day established, shall take his name, and be styled 
the Dwight Professorship of Didactic Theology." The Rev. Nathan- 
iel W. Taylor, then Pastor of the First Church in New Haven, who 
had been a beloved pupil of Dr. Dwight, was elected to fill the office. 
Instruction in Hebrew was at first given by Prof.KingsIey, the Professor 
of Latin in College, and in the Greek of the New Testament by Dr. Fitch, 
Professor of Divinity. Subsequently, in 1824, Mr. Josiah W. Gibbs 
was invited to act as Professor of Sacred Literature. The Professor- 
ship in that department was instituted in 1826, and Mr. Gibbs was 
then elected Professor. The Rev. Dr. Goodrich was afterwards made 
Professor of the Pastoral charge, and Dr. Fitch retained his connection 
with the Seminary, as Instructor inHomiletics. The principal hindrance 
to the prosperity of the Institution, is the inadequate endowment for 
the chairs of Instruction, and the want of means for aiding indigent 
students. It is to be earnestly hoped that the friends of theological 
education in Yale College, will not leave these deficiencies unsupplied. 



No. XV. 

Catalogue of Graduates of Yale College who have served as Foreign 
Missionaries, under the A. B. C. F. M. 

6RAD. 

1809, Benjamin C. Meigs, Ceylon. 

1816, Isaac Bird, Western Asia. 

Asa Thurston, Sandwich Islands. 

1819, Elnathan Gridley, Western Asia. 



94 



GRAD 






1821, 


Dwight Baldwin, M. D., 


Sandwich Islands. 




Josiah Brewer, 


Western Asia. 




Joseph Goodrich, 


Sandwich Islands. 




Eli Smith, 


Western Asia. 


1826, 


James T. Dickinson, 


Singapore. 


1827, 


John M. S. Perry, 


Ceylon. 


1828, 


Edwin Stevens, 


China. 


1829, 


George H. Apthorp, 


Ceylon. 




John V. Lanneau, 


Western Asia. 


1831, 


George Champion, 


South Africa. 




Peter Parker, M. D., 


China. 


1832, 


Henry A. DeForest, M. D., 


Western Asia. 


1833, 


Samuel Wolcott, 


Western Asia. 


1834, 


Henry S. G. French, 


Siam. 




Samuel Goodrich Whittelsey, 


Ceylon. 


1835, 


Charles S. Sherman, 


Western Asia. 


1837, 


Azariah Smith, M. D., 


Western Asia. 


1838, 


David T. Stoddard, 


Western Asia. 


1840, 


Timothy Dwight Hunt, 


Sandwich Islands. 




Charles S. Shelton, M. D., 


India. 


1842, 


Lewis Grout, 


South Africa. 




Seth B. Stone, 


South Africa. 


1843, 


William A, Benton, 


Western Asia. 


1844, 


John W. Dulles, 


India. 




Henry Kinney, 


Sandwich Islands. 




Charles Little, 


India. 




William A. Macy, 


China. 




Samuel D. Marsh, 


South Africa. 


1845, 


Oliver Crane, 


Western Asia. 


1846, 


William B. Capron, 


India. 


1847, 


Andrew T. Pratt, M. D., 


Western Asia. 


1848, 


WiUiam Aitchison, 


China. 




Henry Blodget, 


China. 


1849, 


Augustus Walker, 


Western Asia. 


1850, 


Benjamin Parsons, 


Western Asia. 


1851, 


Henry H, Jessup, 


Western Asia. 




Julius Y. Leonard, 


Western Asia. 


1853, 


Hiram Bingham, Jr., 


Micronesia. 




Charles Harding, 


India. 



Graduates of Yale College who have 
ESTANT Episcopal 



BEEN Missionaries of the Prot- 
Church, 



1825, Thomas Staughton Savage, M. D., West Africa. 

1831, William I. Kip, Missionary Bishop, California. 

1850, Robert Smith, Western Africa. 



95 



Graduates of Yale College who have been Missionaries among the 
North American Indians. 

1Y20, Jonathan Edwards. 

1729, John Sergeant. 

1746, John Brainerd.. 

1806, Wmiam F. Vaill. 



No. XYI. 

The following table will show tlie proportion of ministers to the 
total number of graduates, in successive periods of fifteen years each, 
from the foundation of the College. In the last of these periods, how- 
ever, the number of ministers as given in the table, is somewhat less 
than it will be when all the members of the later classes shall have 
entered upon their professions. Some allowance should be made for 
this modification to occur hereafter. 



Number 




No. of 


Total No. of 




of years 


. From To 


Ministers. 


graduates. 


Percentage. 


14 


1702—1715 


38 


53 


71.69 


15 


1716— 1730 


77 


175 


44.00 


15 


1731—1745 


123 


282 


43.61 


15 


1746—1760 


141 


405 


34.81 


15 


1761—1775 


151 


566 


26.67 


15 


1776—1790 


144 


605 


23.80 


15 


1791—1805 


134 


566 


23.67 


15 


1806—1820 


187 


887 


21.08 


15 


1821—1835 


356 


1125 


31.65 


15 


1836—1850 
d, 


303 


1363 


22.23 


Totj 


1654 


6027 


27.44 — percentage in the 










whole 149 years. 



No. XVII. 

The credit of the improvement which has taken place in the mor- 
als of College belongs, without doubt, in a considerable degree, to 
the Temperance Reform. The disorders, especially at Commence- 
ments, occasioned by strong drink, are frequently noticed in the ancient 



96 

Records. Some details relative to this matter may interest my read- 
ers, and may profitably be pondered by such as are prone to deplore 
the degeneracy of the times. In 1737, the Corporation, having ob- 
served that on the "Commencement Occasions, there is a great 
Expense in Spirituous Distilled Liquors in College, which is Justly 
oflfensive," determined that every candidate who should provide such 
liquors in his room, during Commencement week, should be deprived 
of his degree. Again, in 1746, "to prevent several Extravagant and 
Expensive customs which have prevailed in this College," it was voted 
" that there shall be no kind cf public Treat or Entertainment, made 
by or to the Scholars, but only at the Commencement, Quarter-Days, 
and the Day on which the Valedictory Oration is pronounced, and on 
that Day the Seniors may provide and give away a Barrel of Metheg- 
lin and nothing else." It was also voted " that the Butler shall not 
keep or sell in the Buttery more than twelve Barrels of strong Beer 
in one year." In 1760, the Corporation passed another act, annexing 
stringent penalties, for the suppression of the vices and disorders at 
Commencement, which were caused " by the giving away of great 
Quantities of Strong Drink." It having been the custom of the 
candidates for the first degree " to purchase a Pipe of Wine jointly," 
and oblige each member of the Class to pay the proportionable 
part of the Charges, it was ordered that this practice should be 
entirely abolished. It was forbidden that any candidate should " in 
any Sense or Degree be obliged, by any Agreement, Persuasion, 
Threatening, or otherwise, to pay for more Wine than he shall freely 
chuse for himself;" " that no money shall be collected of any class in 
Order to purchase any Wine ; and that no Wine shall be agreed or 
bargained for, but by special Directions of the President and Tutors 
who shall discourse with the Person who sells, and know of him the 
Quantity and Price bargained for." It was ordained that each indi- 
vidual might " obtain liberty to get such a Quantity of Wine as the 
President shall think proper," and he was not to "get or speak for 
any more." Every candidate was required, on Commencement morn- 
ing, in the presence of the Corporation, to declare, that he had 
faithfully observed the foregoing statutes. These measures appear to 
have proved ineffectual ; for the next year the Corporation express 
once more their determination " to put a Stop to those vicious and 
extravagant Practices which have many Years past attended the 



97 

public Commencements." They order that none of the candidates 
for the Bachelor's degree "shall have in their Chambers, in College, 
or in the Town, any kind of Strong Drink, besides one Quart of Wine 
and one Pint of Rum for each Candidate in a Chamber^'' The 
undergraduates were forbidden to have, during the week of Com- 
mencement, any strong drink in their rooms. Such evils as are here 
alluded to, prevailed, indeed, to an extraordinary extent during the 
last years of President Clap's connection with the Institution. But 
there can be no doubt that the use of intoxicating liquors has always 
been a principal source of disturbance and wrong-doing. The change 
in the habits of the community, effected by the temperance movement, 
has exerted a very happy influence on the morals of the College. 
But even now, no reform of an external nature would be so beneficial to 
the students, could all of them be induced to consent to it, as the 
entire disuse of these dangerous stimulants. There is another class 
of sins, which, it is to be hoped, the good sense of young men will 
before long entirely banish from our American Colleges. They are 
the sins, — duplicity and direct falsehood being the worst, — which 
spring from a fancied diversity of interest between the pupil and his 
instructor. A little reflection in after life commonly exposes the folly 
of the plea on which these immoralities are justified. But the effect 
of them on the conscience and the character is not so easily escaped. 
He who would respect himself and claim respect from others, must 
make sincerity, integrity, — open and upright dealing with all men, — 
his first virtue. 



No. XVIII. 

The following persons have held the office of Professor of Divinity 
in the College : — 

Naphtali Daggett, from 1755 to 1780. 

Samuel Wales, " 1Y82 " 1794. 

Timothy Dwight, " 1805 " 1817. 

Eleazar Thompson Fitch, " 1817 " 1852. 

George Park Fisher, " 1854 

To bring the history of the Church, as given in the foregoing Dis- 
course, down to the present time, it may be added that the Author 
was examined in theology by the Corporation, and chosen Professor 



98 

on the lOtli of May, 1854 ; the Church, in consequence of this elec- 
tion, appointed him to be their Pastor, on the 13th of July of the 
same year ; and on the 24th of the next October, he was ordained and 
inaugurated. The Ecclesiastical Council called by the Church for his 
ordination was presided over by the Rev. Leonard Bacon, D. D., of 
New Haven ; the Sermon was preached by the Rev. Edwards A. Park, 
D. D., Professor at Andover ; the Ordaining Prayer was offered by 
the Rev. Professor Fitch ; the charge to the Pastor was given by the 
Rev. President Woolsey, and the Right Hand of Fellowship by the 
Rev. S. W. S. Dutton, D. D. 

During the interim between the resignation of Rev. Professor Fitch 
and the ordination of his successor, the pulpit was supplied by the 
President and the other clerical members of the Academical and The- 
ological Faculties ; and, in accordance with the request of the Church, 
the Rev. Professor Goodrich acted as Pastor. 

It belongs to the Professor of Divinity to officiate in the pulpit on 
the Lord's day ; and, besides his Pastoral duties, to give instruction to 
the Senior Class in Natural Theology and the Evidences of Christian- 
ity. He conducts a meeting of the Church, held each week for prayer 
and conference. In addition to this meeting, which occurs at present 
on Friday eveniog, and the meeting conducted by Professor Goodrich 
on Sunday evening, the religious students of each class meet for social 
worship twice in the week, — on Sunday morning and on Tuesday 
evening. Once in four weeks, at the meeting on Tuesday evening, 
the four classes assemble together. Bible classes have been established 
from time to time by members of the Faculty, and have been contin- 
ued for a longer or shorter period, according to the desire of the pu- 
pils and the convenience of the instructor. 



CONTENTS OF THE APPENDIX. 



No. 1. The Charge of Arminianism brought against the Clergy, at 
the beginning of the great Revival. 
II. Professor Daggett's Creed. 

III. The Petition of Tutors and Undergraduates for the formation 

of a Church. 

IV. Addresses to Professor Daggett and to the Communicants at 

the formation of the Church. 
V. Connecticut Hall. 
VI. President Clap's Opposition to the separate Meetings ; — the 

Expulsion of Brainerd and the brothers Cleaveland. 
VII. The Declaration of the Faculty of the College concerning 
Whitefield. 
VIII. President Clap's Theological Position. 
IX. The Theological Character of President Stiles. 
X. The Rise and Progress of the New Divinity. 
XI. The Confession of Faith and the Covenant of the Church. 
XIL The Revival of Religion in the College in 1831. 

XIII. Theological Instruction given in the College, at different pe- 

riods. 

XIV. The Origin of the Theological Department. 

XV. List of Missionaries Educated at the College. 

XVI. The number of Ministers Graduated at the College in succes- 

sive periods. 
XV 11. The gradual Improvement in the Morals of College. 
XVIII. List of the Professors of Divinity, with their respective terms 
of office. 



y 



